The Department of Agriculture last year called for theft from ranchers over a fence line dispute with the government.
The USDA (USDA) under President Donald Trump has dropped accusations against small family farms in South Dakota.
Charles and Heather Maud, a couple who run cattle and pig farms on 400 acres near Mount Rushmore, have been caught up in a land dispute under former President Joe Biden’s administration. The USDA at the time claimed that Modes was grazing cattle on small plots of land belonging to the federal government.
“After the investigation was completed, Modes’ life was turned upside down by the Biden administration, which turned simple civil disputes over 25 acres of federal land into costly and invasive and unnecessary criminal prosecution.”
Maudes didn’t know that the conflict had escalated until one day’s armed federal agents made a surprise visit, Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.) told reporters at a press conference in Washington on April 30.
The couple was charged with theft of the land by the Great Ju trial last June 20th. They each faced up to 10 years in prison and fined $250,000.
Local leaders and ranch groups jumped out to help them, but to no avail. Homeland Security Department Christie Noem, then governor of South Dakota, reached out to then USDA secretary Tom Bilsack, but was repeatedly ignored.
She said that Modes’ prosecution was not necessary as farm families had occupied the land for generations and the law already contained provisions for the government to hand it over to them.
“As we learned here in Washington, there are many illicit bureaucrats, and the administrative state now controls America too much.
Senator Minecround (Rs.D.) suggested at a press conference that it could affect federal agents who led the prosecution of Modes.
“Now, I look forward to using my position to cheer on all the bad actors who are chasing civilians,” he said.
“We need to follow up on this case, explain all the bad actors and make sure it never happens again.”
