He registered for the auction, he had a number, and he made winning bids. But Tim DeChristopher doesn’t have the money, and never intended to pay up. Now, the 27 year old environmentalist may face federal charges.
DeChristopher’s actions on Friday occurred at the Utah Bureau of Land Management Office, which sold controversial oil and gas leases. Bundled protesters took up pickets outside the building in downtown Salt Lake, opposing the sales. Some say the leases represent one more environmental injustice from the Bush administration.
DeChristopher’s aim was to run up prices, and prevent real buyers from getting hold of the leases for potential exploration. In the process, he racked up a tab of more than $1.7 million dollars.
“I tried to resist this sale any way I could,” DeChristopher said, after he was questioned by authorities who caught on to his plan. “What the environmental movement has been trying for the last 20 years has not been effective. It’s been too nice.”
His moves disrupted the auction, which BLM officials say occur four times a year, and don’t generate nearly as much interest as Friday’s session. One agency spokesperson called opponents of the latest leases part of the “conflict class,” who have acted on “misinformation.”
The fake bids had an impact. “It cost us potentially hundreds of thousand of dollars because we were bidding against him, and the price was going up,” said one bidder, who did not want to reveal his name or company. “It’s sad.”
When it was over, the BLM allowed oil and gas companies, who competed with DeChristopher in the auction, to relinquish their bids. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Salt Lake City will review the case, and DeChristopher himself, expects to be charged.
