Judge orders Donald Trump to scrap taxpayer-funded campaign ads
A US federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order preventing the Trump administration from using taxpayer funds for political advertisements. The court ruled that the $20 million ad campaign, funded by the Department of Homeland Security, likely violated federal laws against using public money for propaganda.
Why it matters
This case highlights the legal boundaries between government public service messaging and the misuse of taxpayer funds for political campaigning.
shares Share article The Trump administration has been ordered by a US federal judge to immediately cease screening advertisements funded by taxpayers that portray Donald Trump in a positive light.
A coalition of the president’s political opponents accused the administration of misusing public funds with the multi-million dollar ad blitz on television.
A judge has ordered TV ads favouring US President Donald Trump to be pulled immediately. AP
District Judge Jennifer L. Rochon in New York agreed and issued a temporary restraining order on Sunday (Monday AEDT).
In court documents filed on Saturday, the administration said it had moved to cease the screening of the adverts, funded by the Department of Home Security, beyond Sunday.
The Justice Department argued that the temporary restraining order was unnecessary because “the alleged offending conduct will end tomorrow.”
But Rochon ordered any ads scheduled to be aired on Sunday night to be taken down.
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