Activist ends 6-month stint in county jail.

Byline: The Register-Guard

A longtime environmental activist and nursing student from Eugene was released Wednesday from the Josephine County Jail, six months after he refused to cooperate in a federal grand jury investigation of arsons and vandalism by radical environmentalists.

Jeff Hogg, 33, was found in contempt of court in May for refusing to testify, as required by law.

His arrest came as federal and state investigators were wrapping up "Operation Backfire," a monumental investigation of 18 arsons in six states that were claimed by the secretive Earth Liberation Front and Animal Liberation Front.

Hogg was hailed as "an example of true patriotism" by activists who claimed that prosecutors were using grand jury subpoenas to intimidate activists and to portray legitimate environmental groups as terrorists.

The final defendants among 13 charged with conspiracy in the Backfire case pleaded guilty last week.

Hogg's lawyer, Paul Loney of Portland, said Hogg apparently was named by cooperating defendants in the Backfire case who were making sentence deals. He said Hogg has told prosecutors that he knows nothing about crimes committed by environmental extremists.

Prosecutors are barred from discussing grand jury matters, but Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Peifer said Hogg may be subpoenaed to a future grand jury if he does not cooperate in ongoing investigations.