Judge Halts Trump Administration's Use of Taxpayer Funds for Political Ads
A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order against taxpayer-funded advertisements featuring President Trump, following a lawsuit that alleged the ads were political propaganda.
A U.S. judge has blocked the Trump administration from using taxpayer money to fund political advertisements, after ads that appeared to glorify President Donald Trump began airing in late September and prompted bipartisan criticism.
Manhattan-based U.S. District Judge Jennifer Rochon issued a temporary restraining order against the advertisements. The order came after watchdog group Common Cause and other plaintiffs filed a lawsuit, alleging the ads were political propaganda intended to benefit Republican candidates in the upcoming November 3 midterm elections, rather than serving as public service announcements.
According to a statement filed with the court on Saturday, the Trump administration had already planned to cease running the ads before the judge's order. The decision concludes a week of controversy surrounding the taxpayer-funded advertisements, which were broadcast in the final weeks leading up to the midterm elections.
Common Cause President and CEO Virginia Kase Solomón stated, "We won’t stop until this administration is held fully accountable, and no president from any party can waste and abuse taxpayer funds for propaganda ever again."
President Trump commented on Monday that he viewed the ads as "a positive promotion for our great U.S.A." He also indicated that taxpayer funding for the ads would cease. The White House announced this week that the president's political action committee, MAGA PAC, would assume responsibility for funding the ads going forward. The White House has also stated that Trump's political action committee will not reimburse taxpayers for ads that have already aired, which concluded with a disclaimer indicating they were paid for by the U.S. government. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The plaintiffs, which also included a public employee union and a candidate for Alabama state representative, had requested that Judge Rochon temporarily block the ads by Friday, to prevent them from airing during high-profile weekend programming.
Democratic Party officials also challenged the ads in a separate lawsuit filed in federal court in Washington.