Nation IN BRIEF : MONTANA : ‘Freemen’ Denounce U.S. Government

In a clear declaration of defiance in their 15-day standoff with the FBI, the “freemen” posted a handbill near their compound branding the U.S. government a “corporate prostitute.” The handbill supported comments by the local prosecutor that the freemen’s refusal to recognize the government’s authority posed a key hurdle to a peaceful resolution. The standoff near Jordan, Mont., began March 25 after federal agents arrested freemen leaders LeRoy Schweitzer, 57, and Daniel Petersen, 53, on various charges. A retired insurance broker was arrested at his Las Vegas home on a charge of using a bogus check signed by Schweitzer and Petersen to pay for his mother’s funeral in McLean, Texas.