Maryland State House

By Zak Failla From Daily Voice

A group of Republicans are calling on President Donald Trump to stop what they call federal “overreach” — the use of US Marshals to protect out-of-state energy surveyors in parts of Maryland.

On Wednesday, Aug. 20, more than a dozen Republican members of the Maryland House of Delegates sent a letter to Trump warning against the use of federal law enforcement amid the ongoing Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project (MPRP).

The project, a 70-mile transmission line proposed by New Jersey–based Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG), would cut through farmland and rural communities in Carroll, Frederick, and Baltimore counties, delegates wrote, providing “no energy benefit for our state.”

The lawmakers said tensions escalated in late June, when a court order allowed PSEG to access private property for surveys. Landowners, they said, were outraged that the company was able to access their land without permission, prompting public outcry.

Now, with angry residents reportedly confronting survey crews, PSEG has asked a federal judge to send in US Marshals for backup — a request Republicans blasted as unnecessary and heavy-handed.

“It is a gross misuse of federal resources to send Marshals, particularly while appeals are in process. This is a local issue,” the lawmakers wrote. “PSEG should not be asking for federal resources for a private project that is mired in controversy and will not provide any benefit to Maryland’s citizens.”

The letter, signed by GOP leaders including Minority Whip Jesse Pippy of Frederick County and Assistant Minority Leader April Rose of Carroll County, argues that the Marshals Service should not be used to “accompany PSEG surveyors.”

According to the delegates, local sheriffs have already said they would step in if violence or criminal activity become issues.

Republicans urged the court to deny PSEG’s motion, saying federal involvement is stoking “undue distress and anxiety among landowners” and eroding public trust.

The letter was also sent to Attorney General Pamela Bondi at the US Department of Justice.

"We believe that any security needs related to the project can be managed by other appropriate means without the need for federal intervention," they wrote. 

"Doing so would foster a more collaborative atmosphere and demonstrate a commitment to ensuring that communities are respected in the development of critical infrastructure projects."