PHOENIX — Two militia members playing key roles in the siege of an Oregon wildlife refuge say Arizona officials took children out of their homes as part of a campaign to pressure them into surrender.

Arizonans Robert “LaVoy” Finicum and Blaine Cooper, who are two of the more outspoken members of the anti-government occupation, said federal authorities pressured child-welfare officials to retaliate against them days after the siege began.

Non-profit tax records show that before joining the standoff, Finicum collected hundreds of thousands of dollars in state subsidies caring for foster children ((read: unpaid ranch hands)) at his former ranch in Paulden and his new one near Colorado City.