'Unconscionable!' New Jersey prosecutor skewers Trump for president's new 'illegal demand'

Source: Raw Story

August 20, 2025 11:17AM ET


New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin slammed President Donald Trump Wednesday after having joined in a lawsuit against the administration over what he called an “illegal demand.” “I think it's unconscionable, it's patently illegal, and it's one of the most heinous things I've seen from any administration,” Platkin said, speaking on CNN.

Platkin has joined 19 other states and the District of Columbia in a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its withholding of hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funds earmarked for public safety, including funds intended to support crime victims. The Trump administration has withheld the funds from some states in order to compel them to cooperate with its immigration crackdown.

“What we are saying is that in this case, it's immigration, but what if it was a Democratic president saying you won't get funds unless you agree with this abortion policy?” Platkin said.

“We have checks and balances in this country for a reason. Congress appropriates funding, bipartisan funding that has been around for four decades to fund some of the most critical services for our victims, (and) I cannot believe that I have had to file a lawsuit to say don't use these people as political pawns. That's what we're talking about in this lawsuit.”

Read more: https://www.rawstory.com/trump-2673904678/