As I am sure many of you have heard by now, the charges against Charles and Heather Maude
have been dropped. The Maudes – South Dakota ranchers who were both facing federal indictments over a fence line dispute with the U.S. Forest Service – were flown to Washington, D.C. where they were given the chance to say a few words about the situation and express their gratitude for the individuals and organizations who helped them reach this moment. Together with their two children, the Maudes were visibly overcome with emotion as they stood alongside Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins; Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem; South Dakota Governor, Larry Rhoden; Senators Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY); and Representatives Dusty Johnson (R-SD) and Harriet Hageman (R-WY).
In speaking with Heather’s mother and father a few weeks ago ahead of what was scheduled to be an April trial date, I’ve gathered that this last year has been nothing short of a whirlwind of a year for the entire family. I can believe it.
Especially when you consider the vast escalation of events last year, when the Maudes went from welcoming U.S. Forest Service personnel into their homes and discussing plans to civilly resolve the issue via land survey to Special Agent Lunders showing up in tactical gear and serving them separate, federal charges. This was not only traumatizing to their children, but it also served as a BLARING alarm bell for the power-hungry nature of unelected bureaucrats like Special Agent Lunders.
There should be repercussions for Lunders and every other individual who escalated this minor molehill into a Kilimanjaro-sized mountain.
On the flipside, to say that I am proud of the Maude family is an understatement. What an example of the Western spirit – you don’t give up, ever.
As part of the announcement that their charges were being dropped, Secretary Rollins announced that USDA would be
launching a new online portal for “potential victims of ongoing lawfare originating under the Biden Administration to submit their concerns and experiences.” The website is now live and can be found at
https://www.usda.gov/lawfare.
“President Trump is directing his cabinet to ensure no citizen of this country is unfairly targeted on politically motivated witch hunts. That is what happened to the Maudes, and I am working to ensure no farmer, rancher, or customer who works with USDA will ever endure baseless political persecution,” Rollins said.