Feds can't withhold counterterrorism funds from states to force election admin changes, judge rules

A federal judge on Monday vacated a Trump administration rule that would hold back a portion of counterterrorism funds to states unless states and certain municipalities made certain changes to how they administer elections. In his ruling , Judge Amir Ali said the Federal Emergency Management Agency exceeded its legal authority "by conditioning the counterterrorism grant funds on changes to routine election administration." Ali also said FEMA , a division of the Department of Homeland Security, had not shown how the desired changes to election administration related to stopping terrorism. Ali's decision in U.S.