Judge blocks Trump from tying anti-terrorism grants to election changes

Sept 28 (Reuters) - ‌A US judge ​blocked ​the Trump administration on Monday from conditioning counterterrorism funds to ‌local governments on changes to election ⁠administration.

The decision by Washington-based US District Judge ‌Amir Ali marks the ‌latest defeat for President Donald Trump in his bid to increase the ​federal government's authority over elections ahead of the November 3 midterms, ⁠when his Republicans are fighting to retain slim majorities ​in both houses of Congress.

Earlier this year, the Department of Homeland ​Security announced that ‌it would withhold 20% of funding under grant programs related ⁠to preparing for terrorist attacks and other threats until state or local governments ⁠adapted election administration measures favored by the administration.

In ​his ruling on Monday, Ali sided with counties and cities in Texas, Ohio and Tennessee, ‌which sued to block the changes on the basis ‌that the conditioning of such funds ⁠exceeded the Federal ‌Emergency Management Agency's ​authority.

(Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Daniel ‌Wallis)

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