June 6, 2014 12:39PM 

# Feds Hire, then Prosecute, Tree Trimmer 

By [Tim Lynch](https://www.cato.org/people/tim-lynch) 

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First the federal government wanted the trees to be trimmed in order to control the birds that nested there. Now the federal government wants to prosecute the tree-trimmer because his trimming affected the birds that nested there. Go figure.

For more instances of regulatory bullying, check out this recent Cato event, “[Mugged by the State](https://www.cato.org/events/mugged-state-when-regulators-prosecutors-bully-citizens).”

##### Related Tags 

[Regulation](https://www.cato.org/regulatory-studies) 

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