Dem
47
GOP
53
The Biden Dept. of Justice gave out hundreds of grants to nonprofit organizations to do a multitude of things the DoJ believes will improve the administration of justice. Among other things, the $4.4 billion in grants during the last fiscal year fund mental health care for police officers, support victims of crime and sexual assault, fight human trafficking, curb juvenile delinquency, safeguard incarcerated youth, fund hate-crime reporting, provide support for various hotlines, prevent crimes, aid survivors of domestic violence, help LGBTQ groups work with police departments to reduce violence against LGBTQ people, and much more.
Unfortunately for the groups getting the grants and for the ultimate recipients of the help, AG Pam Bondi doesn't see the need for this kind of stuff, despite all the programs being funded by congressional appropriations. Most grants run for three years. But rather than let them run their course and not renew them, Bondi has decided to simply kill programs she doesn't like. At least 350 ongoing grants have been abruptly terminated before the contractual end date. Many of the canceled grants go to help the victims of crimes. They provide legal help, safe housing, medical and trauma support, and even funeral expenses to bury a loved one who has been murdered when the family can't pay to bury the victim. When asked about this, Bondi said: "Grants for programs that do not align with the administration's priorities were rescinded but this Department of Justice will continue to ensure that services for victims are not impacted and any recipient will have the ability to appeal and restore any grant if direct impact on victims can be thoroughly established." Sure.
But Bondi is not stopping with terminating grants she doesn't like. She has also reversed a Biden-era policy of not issuing subpoenas to reporters and news organizations when tracking down news leaks. That policy, implemented by then-AG Merrick Garland, was seen as a victory for a free press. A free press is not a priority for Bondi. Catching and punishing leakers is a priority. She said: "This Justice Department will not tolerate unauthorized disclosures that undermine President Trump's policies, victimize government agencies, and cause harm to the American people." In other words, if a whistleblower tips off a media outlet that someone in the administration is breaking the law, the priority is not going after the lawbreaker but going after the person who tipped off the media to the crime.
Many state and local officials find this new policy abhorrent. In a statement, New Jersey AG Matthew Platkin (D) wrote: "Instead of helping to keep our residents safe, the Trump Administration is once again cruelly clawing back critical public safety funding for our state." In Missouri, a grant that funded counseling and treatment through the mental health court was canceled. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas (D) said: "It takes away a tool that we have to give people treatment and then break the cycle of recidivism that we see on nuisance offenses." In Iowa, a program that put kennels in domestic violence shelters was canceled. The result is that some women who want to flee domestic violence will be hesitant to do so if that means leaving Fido behind to starve to death. (V)