NewzA federal judge has ordered President Donald Trump to cancel any remaining television commercials paid for with millions of dollars in taxpayer money to promote his political message 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.Representatives for the White House and DHS did not immediately respond to Axios' Sunday evening request for comment.What's next: A hearing is scheduled for Oct.
13 to discuss next steps in the case. A federal judge on Sunday told the Trump administration its new ads featuring the president are likely unlawful and must stop — including any set to be aired later in the day. The administration had indicated the ad campaign is set to end on Sunday, so there was no need for the judge to intervene.
NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump must cancel any remaining television commercials paid for with millions of dollars in taxpayer money to promote his political message, a federal judge ordered Sunday night, even as the administration said the ad campaign was coming to an end.U.S. Rochon in New York sided with a coalition, including the nonpartisan watchdog Common Cause, that challenged the ads and called them an illegal misuse of funds. She told the administration to cancel any remaining ads, including any set to air Sunday night, in granting a temporary restraining order.“Defendants shall not enter into, renew, or expand any agreement authorizing the development, creation, dissemination, placement, or airing of the challenged advertisements” during the two-week duration of her order, the judge said.The White House did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment Sunday night.
In a court filing late Saturday, the Justice Department argued that the temporary restraining order was unnecessary because “the alleged offending conduct will end tomorrow.”The Department of Homeland Security tapped $20 million in taxpayer money for the ads. Legal experts have suggested that violated a federal statute against congressionally appropriated money being used for “publicity or propaganda” and potentially other laws.“We are pleased the court acted swiftly to prevent more taxpayer dollars from being used for such blatantly unlawful political propaganda,” the plaintiffs said in a statement issued by Democracy Forward, the nonprofit legal organization that represents them. “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.”In a court declaration Saturday, senior DHS official Holly Mehringer wrote that the money came from funds appropriated by Congress that are “available for, among other things, ‘commemorating efforts and events related to border security.’”The White House has defended the ads as public service announcements akin to what past administrations have done to promote various policies.
But the recent ads differ from many past public service announcements because they aren’t aimed at helping members of the public benefit from specific government programs.The a… President Donald Trump must cancel any remaining television commercials paid for with millions of dollars in taxpayer money to promote his political message, a federal judge ordered Sunday night, even as the administration said the ad campaign was coming to… A federal judge ordered Trump to cancel taxpayer-funded TV ads promoting his political message
Summary from source