A former Justice Department attorney says it was "ludicrous" for a New York judge to declare Congress could not independently decide it wasn't going to fund the liberal activist group ACORN.

A federal judge has ordered government agencies to make it clear that funding is not blocked to the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). Brooklyn Judge Nina Gershon wrote in her opinion that it was "unmistakable that Congress determined ACORN's guilt before defunding it."

She also said Congress is entitled to investigate ACORN but cannot "rely on the negative results of a congressional or executive report to impose a broad, punitive funding ban on a specific, named organization."...