Trump Weaponizes “Lawfare” Portal To Protect Farmers/Ranchers From Radical Environmentalists

On June 24, 2024, the Biden administration's Department of Justice indicted South Dakota ranchers Charles and Heather Maude. They were charged with theft of government property in connection with a decades-old fence line dispute near the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands.

The Maudes were facing felony charges for the theft of government property related to approximately 50 acres of land--25 acres used for cultivation and another 25 acres for grazing--located along the boundary of their family ranch and the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands. The disputed fence line has been established for about 75 years.

Instead of resolving it as a civil matter, Biden's DOJ criminally indicted Charles and Heather Maude

That’s right, Sleepy Joe Biden, who opened the border and allowed millions of illegals, many of them criminals, into our country with no plans to assimilate, decided to prosecute two ranchers over a fence that had been in place for 75 years. The Forest Service decided that the fence blocked federal access

Biden's Forest Service determined that the fence obstructed federal access. Instead of resolving it as a civil matter, Biden's DOJ criminally indicted Charles and Heather Maude separately on charges of felony theft of government property. Each faced up to 10 years in prison and $250,000 in fines. A judge barred the husband and wife from discussing the case with each other, and the court required them to hire separate defense attorneys.

Biden officials ignored requests from South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and Sen. Mike Rounds to back down. Their letters went unanswered, and calls to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack’s office were unproductive.

As they were heading toward a July 2025 trial, the bills they were expected to pay were eating their lunch. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told The Daily Wire, "They were bankrupt, basically, because of their legal fees."

On April 28, 2025, the Trump administration announced it would dismiss the charges, highlighting its commitment to ending what it called "government regulation by prosecution."

At an April 30^th press conference, following the charges being dropped, Rollins said:

“The prosecution of the Maudes should never have happened... it is a fire bell in the night. We must awaken to what it means that this appeal and recourse were even necessary at all. We are ending regulation by prosecution in America and investigating how and why this wrongful prosecution ever occurred in the first place. We must ensure that our farmers and our ranchers have not and will not be targeted for living the American way of life."

"We are both fifth-generation farmers and ranchers, our families have a combined 250-plus years in production agriculture"

At that time, Heather Maude spoke on behalf of their family:

“We are both fifth-generation farmers and ranchers, our families have a combined 250-plus years in production agriculture. When this unnecessary grievance came to our family, we knew that we were innocent of any wrongdoing, and we sought to find a resolution, and that was not forthcoming from the other side.”

“Our neighbors stood up for us at the threat of retribution to their own operations… and we are so thankful for the efforts that are being rolled out today to help make progress in the right direction.”

According to court documents, the Maudes were indicted on June 24, 2024, only weeks after attempting to resolve the issue administratively with local USFS officials. They claim they were taken by surprise by the criminal indictments, especially since they had initiated discussions to clarify the fence line and even proposed a land trade.

The couple was accused of using the land without permission, but Heather’s mother, Randi Hamilton, stated that this claim overlooks generations of mutual understanding and cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS).

The Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation (WyFB) President, Todd Fornstrom, previously wrote a letter of support to Secretary Rollins, stating that the case's outcome establishes a significant precedent.

“It’s critical for agencies to work with long-time permittees to resolve conflicts without dragging them into the judicial system. WyFB policy opposes the abuse of power and overreach of any enforcement or investigative department of any U.S. Executive Branch Agency, including USFS. WyFB also supports strict consequence of permanent ban of federal employment of any individual found guilty of abusing power and to be held responsible for any financial cost incurred.”

Secretary Rollins announced the launch of a portal for farmers and ranchers to report similar incidents in the future

Kerin Clark, Executive Vice President of WyFB, stated that the Maude case illustrates a larger issue of unchecked government enforcement.

“We are thankful to see this abuse of power by the federal government overturned. The government's overreach and abuse of power against the Maude family should have never happened. The efforts by this administration to end regulation through prosecution in America are welcomed and necessary for American citizens.”

Although the criminal charges have been dropped, questions remain about the case, and the Forest Service's handling of it has cast a long shadow over the regulatory process.

“Agencies need to provide avenues to remedy situations like this in a manner that is efficient, effective, and appropriate. If honest efforts to resolve an issue lead to indictments, that breaks down trust--and that hurts everyone.”

In response to the dismissal of the criminal charges in this case, Secretary Rollins announced the launch of a portal for farmers and ranchers to report similar incidents in the future.

“We are excited to announce that USDA is launching a portal at USDA.gov for all American farmers, ranchers, and producers who are subject to similar egregious lawfare from the Biden administration. We will work with our counterparts to address any other government overreach in situations like this."

Kerin Clark added:

“We applaud the announcement that efforts are in progress to find resolution to remedy situations like this to avoid regulation through prosecution and the wrongful targeting of hard-working American citizens.”

Fast-forwarding to this July, over 600 submissions have been received via the lawfare portal from producers across 47 states.

On July 2, Rollins and SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler signed a formal memorandum of understanding to transform that portal into a comprehensive government enforcement mechanism.

The agreement provides the USDA Lawfare Portal direct access to the SBA's complaint-resolution process, creating a unified front against any federal agency that continues to target rural producers.

Now, no farmer or rancher stands alone against the EPA

Now, no farmer or rancher stands alone against the EPA, the Forest Service, or any other Biden administration bureaucracy that is trying to use regulations as a weapon against rural America.

Rollins was adamant, "Producers and ranchers who feed this nation should never face the full power of government alone.”

In the late 18th century, almost 90 percent of the American labor force was involved in agriculture. Many Founding Fathers, such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, were farmers who advanced early methods of soil conservation and crop rotation.

Today, the number has shrunk to 2 percent.

Radical environmental NGOs, activist groups, and federal agencies spent decades contributing to that collapse, and then Biden's team has provided them with the means to accelerate it.

In a July 2^nd press release, the USDA said, "The radical environmentalism agenda has done its share of damage to America's farmers.”

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) directly supports Trump's Executive Order on Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation by building a data record of regulatory abuse that drives the next phase of reform.

The portal documents everything, including complaints, fines, prosecutions, and all cases from the Biden administration that are on record.

The catalog of evidence serves as the basis for the rounds of deregulation that will follow. The goal is to hold the agents who weaponized these tools in the first place accountable.

This case was never about a 75-year-old fence and 50 acres of land. This was the Biden administration and Democrats wanting to demonstrate control. Ruining innocent lives to make a senseless point.

The left tends to showcase its power, which is why it is crucial to limit its presence in positions where that power can be wielded. They advocate for big government to oversee every aspect of American life. Accumulating land without a meaningful purpose reduces individual autonomy and enhances the government’s authority.

President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins did the right thing for the Maudes, and now they have an instrument in place to protect others.