By Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON, July 1 (Reuters) - Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said on Wednesday he was shutting down his office's Conviction Review Unit that looked into potential wrongful convictions, attributing the decision to funding suspension by the Trump administration.
"Following the Trump Administration's refusal to renew federal grant funding that supported the program, my Office is suspending our Conviction Review Unit," Ellison said in a statement.
"Current budget constraints do not allow the program's costs to be absorbed without compromising other core responsibilities."
The unit was formed in 2020 and started accepting applications to review cases in 2021. Ellison said it had received a $300,000 grant for its initial two years to fund the work of an attorney and the grant was renewed at $500,000 for a period of two more years.
WASHINGTON, July 1 (Reuters) - Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said on Wednesday he was shutting down his office's Conviction Review Unit that looked into potential wrongful convictions, attributing the decision to funding suspension by the Trump administration.
"Following the Trump Administration's refusal to renew federal grant funding that supported the program, my Office is suspending our Conviction Review Unit," Ellison said in a statement.
"Current budget constraints do not allow the program's costs to be absorbed without compromising other core responsibilities."
The unit was formed in 2020 and started accepting applications to review cases in 2021. Ellison said it had received a $300,000 grant for its initial two years to fund the work of an attorney and the grant was renewed at $500,000 for a period of two more years.
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