Law Commons^™

Congress Giveth, And The Courts Taketh Away: Is Restitutionary Recoupment Of Federal Funds A Proper Remedy When Taxpayers Allege That An Expired Statute Violated The Establishment Clause?, Kendra Williams

Pepperdine Law Review

The Seventh Circuit recently held in Laskowski v. Spellings that grantees of government funding can be forced by taxpayers to give grant money back to the federal government when the grant has allegedly violated the Establishment Clause - even when the grant statute expired years ago, the funds have long since been spent, and the government does not want the money back. Laskowski's new remedy has the potential for widely impacting Establishment Clause jurisprudence, especially in the areas of government funding for sectarian schools and other religiously-affiliated groups. The ready availability of a recoupment remedy could also have far-reaching and …