US States Sue Trump Over Election Funding Threat

By Staff, Agencies

California, Illinois, New Jersey, and Rhode Island have filed a lawsuit challenging Trump administration rules that link federal antiterrorism funding to changes in state election procedures, The New York Times reported.

The legal challenge, filed Thursday by the four states’ attorneys general, argues that the administration is attempting to use millions of dollars in security grants as leverage to impose new voting requirements.

Under the contested policy, states could lose access to federal funding intended for counterterrorism and public-safety programs unless they modify their election procedures in line with demands set by the administration.

The states accused the White House of overstepping its authority by attaching election-related conditions to federal security grants, arguing that the requirements exceed executive powers and violate administrative law.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said the administration “cannot extort states into doing what he wants.”

The lawsuit came as Trump faces repeated legal challenges over voting policies that critics say restrict access to the ballot.

Several courts have blocked similar efforts, and the four states are seeking to stop the administration from withholding grants and declare the new conditions unlawful.