Rob Bonta leads 25 Democratic attorneys general in suing the administration over "unlawful" conditions on federal disaster grants.
Rob Bonta, the Attorney General of California, is leading a coalition of 25 Democratic attorneys general in a lawsuit against the administration for imposing "unlawful" conditions on federal disaster preparedness and counter-terrorism grants. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Rhode Island, argues that the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency are using over $740 million in funding as a "campaign of coercion" to force states to adopt preferred voting and immigration policies. The requirements include mandating that states use a federal database to verify voter citizenship, conduct post-election audits, and cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement during raids. While the administration defended the moves as "commonsense measures" to preserve election integrity, the plaintiffs argue that the executive branch is using funding as leverage for political goals. A FEMA spokesperson dismissed the lawsuit as "partisan pushback" from "leftwing politicians." The coalition seeks to block these conditions, arguing that federal funding should not be held hostage by the political whims of the administration.