Judge halts Trump administration's taxpayer-funded ads
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President Trump in Grand Island, Nebraska, last week. Photo: Kent Nishimura/AFP via Getty Images
A federal judge on Sunday ordered the Trump administration to immediately halt taxpayer-funded ads featuring President Trump.
Why it matters: The ruling temporarily blocks the ads weeks before November's midterm elections as multiple lawsuits challenging the Trump administration's use of taxpayer money play out in court.
- Sunday's ruling stems from a suit filed in the Southern District of New York by Washington, D.C.-based watchdog Common Cause, non-profit Democracy Forward and other plaintiffs.
- A similar lawsuit, filed by the Democratic National Committee, was filed in D.C. federal court earlier this month.
The big picture: The Trump administration maintains that the ads are public service announcements and that previous Republican and Democratic administrations have used taxpayer-funded advertising to promote government policies.
- Trump pledged to pay for the ads himself after both lawsuits were filed, though the White House told Axios there were no plans to reimburse the government for millions already spent on the ads.
Driving the news: The plaintiffs in the New York lawsuit allege that the Trump administration exceeded congressional authorization and violated restrictions on publicity and propaganda.
- In a brief order, U.S. District Judge Jennifer Rochon found that a motion filed by the coalition was "not moot."
- She found they had "demonstrated that they are likely to succeed on the merits, will suffer irreparable harm in the absence of an injunction, the balance of the equities tips in their favor, and an injunction serves the public interest," according to the order.
- The suit names the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles as defendants.
What they're saying: The coalition said in a statement emailed by Democracy Forward it was "pleased the court acted swiftly to prevent more taxpayer dollars from being used for such blatantly unlawful political propaganda."
- The statement added, "There is no legal justification — and no precedent — for the president to use the machinery of the government and funds set aside by Congress for other uses to influence electoral outcomes that further his own agenda."
The White House referred Axios to Trump's Truth Social post last week last week, in which he described the ads as a "positive promotion" for the U.S.
- Representatives for the DHS did not immediately respond to Axios' Sunday evening request for comment.
What's next: A hearing is scheduled for Tuesday to discuss next steps in the case.
Editor's note: This story was updated with a statement from the plaintiffs and the White House's response to a request for comment.
