A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to stop broadcasting a series of government-funded television advertisements, ruling that critics of the campaign had shown it likely misused taxpayer money for political purposes weeks before the midterm elections.
The temporary restraining order, issued on Sunday night by Judge Jennifer Rochon of the United States District Court in Manhattan, directs the administration to pull the advertisements from the air immediately. It also bars the Department of Homeland Security from spending any more of the $20 million contract that financed the campaign. According to reports on the court order, roughly $19 million of that allocation had already been spent.
Court finds the campaign likely unlawful
Judge Rochon found that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on the merits of their case, were likely to suffer irreparable harm without an injunction, and that halting the ads served the public interest. The challenge was brought by a coalition including the advocacy group Common Cause and the Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ. The ads, which carried the caption “Paid for by the U.S. Government,” were criticised as political propaganda intended to influence the November vote.
The ruling followed an assurance from the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office, which is defending the administration, that the advertisements would not be broadcast past Sunday. The plaintiffs asked for the order anyway, telling the court there was, in their words, “no legal justification — and no precedent” for using the machinery of government and appropriated funds to influence electoral outcomes. The order remains in force for 14 days unless extended, and further developments in the case are being watched closely. The dispute echoes a separate legal battle over press freedoms playing out alongside the midterm campaign.
Funds drawn from immigration enforcement pot
The money behind the advertisements came from a large congressional appropriation intended for immigration enforcement. Critics argued the funds had been diverted to a political purpose for which they were never approved. Neither the White House nor the U.S. Attorney’s Office immediately commented on the ruling.
The order lands weeks before the midterms, in an election season already marked by legal fights over how far the federal government can go in shaping the public narrative. With the temporary order in place, the administration must now either defend the campaign in court or abandon it entirely.
