On February 28 , 1985 , Congressman James H. Weaver gave a speech in the United States House of Representatives in which he asserted that the Rajneeshees were involved in the bioterror attack in Oregon . At a series of press conferences in September 1985 , Rajneesh accused several of his recently departed lieutenants of involvement in this and other crimes , including the poisoning of Mike Sullivan , a Jefferson County district attorney , and asked state and federal authorities to investigate his allegations . The assassination plot was uncovered by federal law enforcement as a result of the ensuing investigation into activities at Rajneeshpuram . Turner was never physically harmed , and had retired by 1995 .