ABC 4 Exclusive: Polygamist leader speaks out on Warren Jeffs
 
By Brent Hunsaker
ABC 4 News
Winston and family

Canadian Polygamist leader Winston Blackmore called a rare press conference Tuesday to say that not all polygamist leaders are alike. Blackmore was once the bishop of Bountiful and in the hierarchy of the FLDS Church.

He was booted out in 2002 for protesting some of the activities of Warren Jeffs. Both Utah and Arizona have charged Jeffs in connection with the forced marriage of underage girls to older men.

The FBI has also charged him with fleeing to avoid prosecution and recently added Jeffs' name to the "10 Most Wanted" list.

Blackmore also finds himself in hot water with Canadian authorities. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police have launched an investigation. The RCMP will not comment, but Blackmore claims they're looking to charge him with polygamy -- something he claims will never hold up in court, but will nonetheless cost him "$5,000,000" in legal fees to fight all the way to the Canadian Supreme Court.

Blackmore says, "It's persecution as far as we're concerned. [Warren Jeffs] predicted that our family would be broken up and ruined. Canada seems to want to help him fulfill that prediction."

Three of Blackmore's wives have also been ordered to leave Canada for violation of immigration laws. All three are American citizens.

Blackmore says, "No, Canada! We're just not going to leave our children." He claims all of the children he's had by those three wives were born in Canada. He plans to appeal the order in court as well. Blackmore believes that authorities on both sides of the border think all polygamists are just like Warren Jeffs.

"We are not him," he said. "And he does not represent the fundamentals of our faith."

Blackmore broke with Jeffs over the tearing apart families, kicking husbands and fathers out of Hilldale/Colorado City and marrying off underage girls.

Coming up tomorrow night on ABC 4 News at 10: What does Blackmore know about the rumors that Jeffs is hiding in Canada? How has the split between Warren and Winston effected the 800 polygamists living just across the Canadian border?

Plus, Blackmore has something of an apology for the leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City.

brent@abc4.tv
 
ABC4.com
Originally broadcast May 17, 2006
 
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