Clawback: DOJ decision to rescind $800 million in grants allowed by federal judge

Another legal victory for the administration of President Donald Trump was documented in the decision of a federal judge to allow the Department of Justice to rescind about $800 million in grants.

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta in Washington rejected a demand for a preliminary injunction from five groups that benefited from the cash handouts.

They were objecting to the DOJ’s cancellation of more than 360 grant awards, according to a report from Fox News.

The judge condemned the decision as “shameful” in his ruling, but said the court lacks jurisdiction and the plaintiffs failed to document a constitutional violation or protection.

“Defendants’ rescinding of these awards is shameful. It is likely to harm communities and individuals vulnerable to crime and violence,” the judge said. “But displeasure and sympathy are not enough in a court of law.”

It was the DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs that decided in April to cancel the hundreds of millions of dollars in grant handouts, describing the move as a change in priorities to include more direct support to some law enforcement groups, fight violent crime, and help American victims of trafficking and sexual assault, the report explained.

The complaint, from Democracy Forward Foundation and the Perry Law firm, claimed they were deprived of due process and the decision lacked clarity. They also said the move violated the constitutional separation of powers.

The cancellation of the handout of taxpayer money triggered layoffs and closures in various programs, the plaintiffs claimed.

But the DOJ said that no legal basis existed for the court to order the restoration of “lawfully terminated grants.”

In fact, some plaintiffs in other disputes over the Trump administration’s decision to cancel cash handouts have claimed that they have a constitutional right to be funded by the taxpayers.