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Morgan Philpot addresses a group of voters in Utah in March 2012. (Creative Commons)

Ammon Bundy, the leader of the armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, has retained a new lawyer, J. Morgan Philpot, a former Utah state representative who was born in Molalla, Oregon.

Late Wednesday, Eugene-based attorney Mike Arnold, who was retained by Bundy after his Jan. 26 arrest, filed a notice of "substitution of counsel,'' for Philpot.

"He is intimately familiar with the land use issues central to the Malheur protest,'' Arnold said in a prepared statement.

Attorney Mike Arnold filed this notice late Wednesday in U.S. District Court to substitute lawyers for Ammon Bundy.

Arnold has been an outspoken advocate and defender of Bundy. His courthouse step pronouncements and social media postings drew complaints to the Oregon State Bar about his legal tactics. Most have been dismissed, except for a couple pending that question his use of social media and crowdsourcing to help with discovery of evidence in the case.

"Morgan's entrance into this case is a positive step forward and does not diminish our belief in the protestors or this case. We believe in Ammon Bundy. He is a thoughtful and courageous man, a wonderful client and now a friend,'' Arnold said.

Bundy is one of 26 defendants who were indicted on federal charges of conspiring to impede federal officers from doing their work at the federal wildlife sanctuary outside of Burns in Harney County. One of the 26 defendants has pleaded guilty. Bundy has pleaded not guilty to the conspiracy charge, possession of firearms in a federal facility and the use or carrying of a firearm in the course of a crime of violence. He has said the occupation was done to protest federal control of public land.

Two lawyers from Arnold's law firm visited the refuge during the armed occupation, offering to do pro bono legal work for Bundy. Once Bundy was arrested on Jan. 26, he retained Arnold to represent him in the federal case.

Arnold said the case has taken a toll on him. He missed his son's first birthday and first steps because of his work on the case and wants to spend more time with his family, he said.

Arnold was introduced to Philpot sometime in February.

"I feel privileged to have gotten to know the Bundy family...Even though I will no longer be an active participant in this case, I sincerely hope these relationships continue,'' Arnold wrote. "Now with the first round of motions completed, it's the perfect time for fresh horses. I am confident that Morgan and his team will seek justice for Ammon and the other protesters. Moving forward, I will continue to support Ammon and his team.''

Philpot interned at the White House in 1997 as he was attending the University of Utah. He served as a representative in the Utah House from 2001 to 2004, prior to attending law school. Just before the end of his second term, he resigned his seat in order to attend Ave Maria School of Law in Ann Arbor, MI. After graduating law school in 2007, he returned to Utah where he worked for the Utah Attorney General's office. He made an unsuccessful run for Utah governor in 2012, and has served as vice chair of the Utah Republican Party. In January, he announced he was running for a Utah state senate seat.

His practice involves civil litigation and criminal defense. He is a member of both the Utah and Oregon bars.

-- Maxine Bernstein

mbernstein@oregonian.com

503-221-8212

@maxoregonian