May 15 (UPI) -- A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration unconstitutionally retaliated against the American Bar Association when it abruptly canceled millions in grants awarded to the world's largest association of lawyers and legal professionals.
Judge Christopher Cooper of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued a preliminary injunction against the cancelation of the five grants and ordered the Justice Department to fully pay out the $3.2 million previously allocated to the ABA. The grants were intended to train lawyers and judges who work with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.
"The ABA has made a strong showing that Defendants terminated its grants to retaliate against it for engaging in protected speech," the President Barack Obama-appointed judge wrote in his ruling.
The Trump administration has been accused of retaliating against President Donald Trump's perceived political opponents, including law firms associated with Democrats and judges who have ruled against his policies.
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