Judge blocks Trump bid to tie counterterror grants to election rules

A federal judge on Monday blocked the Trump administration from withholding some federal counterterrorism funding from states and localities that refuse election-administration demands tied to unproven fraud claims.

U.S. District Judge Amir Ali wrote that the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA lacked congressional authority to attach those conditions to grants, and that the requirements failed legal tests linking them to the grants’ terrorism-protection purpose. Over the summer, FEMA said 20 per cent of more than US$1 billion in antiterrorism awards for states and urban areas would be held back until jurisdictions verified citizenship of registered voters and election workers, moved away from certain electronic ballot systems and showed they audit results.

Plaintiffs including Columbus, Ohio; Nashville; and Texas counties said the conditions were an abuse of power. Courts have repeatedly rejected similar administration efforts ahead of November’s midterms, when Democrats hope to take control of one or both chambers of Congress.