1984 Rajneeshee Bioterror Attack - Planning

Planning

Several thousand of Rajneesh's followers had moved onto the "Big Muddy Ranch" in rural Wasco County, and established a city called Rajneeshpuram. They had taken political control of the small nearby town of Antelope, Oregon (population: 75), whose name they changed to "Rajneesh". The group had started on friendly terms with the local population, but relations soon turned negative because of the unenthusiastic response from locals to the commune's expansion. After being denied building permits for Rajneeshpuram, the commune leadership sought to gain political control over the rest of the County by influencing the November 1984 County election. Their aim was to win two of three seats on the Wasco County Circuit Court, and the Sheriff's Office. Their attempts to influence the election included the "Share-a-Home" program, in which thousands of homeless people were transported to Rajneeshpuram to inflate the constituency of voters for the group's candidates. The Wasco County Clerk countered this attempt by enforcing a regulation that required all new voters to submit their qualifications when registering to vote.

The commune leadership planned to sicken and incapacitate voters in The Dalles, where most of the voters resided, in continuation of their efforts to rig the election. Approximately twelve people were involved in the plots to employ biological agents, and at least eleven were involved in the planning process. No more than four appear to have been involved in development at the Rajneeshpuram medical laboratory, although not all of them were necessarily aware of the objectives their work served. At least eight individuals were involved with the actual distribution of the bacteria. The main planners of the attack included Ma Anand Sheela, Rajneesh's chief lieutenant, and Diane Yvonne Onang (Ma Anand Puja), a nurse practitioner and secretary-treasurer of the Rajneesh Medical Corporation. Salmonella bacteria were purchased from a medical supply company in Seattle, Washington, and cultured in labs located inside the commune. Contamination of the salad bars was considered a "trial run". The group also attempted to introduce pathogens into The Dalles' water system. If successful, the same techniques were to be used closer to Election Day. This second part of the plan was never implemented because the commune decided to boycott the election when it became clear that those brought in through the "Share-a-Home" program would not be allowed to vote.