US court temporarily bans White House from funding political ads with public money

Court ruling against state advertising

On Sunday, a US federal court issued a ruling prohibiting the administration of President Donald Trump from using budgetary funds to pay for political advertising. This ban took effect after television spots praising the incumbent president began airing in late September. Their financing from the federal budget sparked outrage among representatives of both major parties.

Lawsuit details and the judge's position

Federal Judge Jennifer Rochon of the Manhattan district temporarily banned the airing of these spots. The plaintiffs included, among others, the non-profit organisation Common Cause, a union of civil servants, and a candidate for the Alabama state legislature. They argued that the spots were political propaganda aimed at supporting Republican candidates in the midterm elections to be held on 3 November, rather than social advertising.

The plaintiffs asked Judge Rochon to temporarily block the advertising until Friday to prevent its broadcast during weekend programmes, including football matches and the show Saturday Night Live.

Administration's reaction and change in funding sources

According to a separate statement filed with the court on Saturday, the Trump administration had already planned to stop airing the advertising spots before Judge Rochon issued the corresponding order. On Monday, Trump himself stated that he considered these spots "позитивною рекламою наших чудових США" ("positive advertising for our wonderful USA"), but confirmed that they would no longer be funded by taxpayers.

The White House announced that the President's MAGA PAC political committee would now fund the advertising. It was also noted that this committee would not reimburse taxpayers for the cost of the spots that had already been aired. It is worth noting that previously aired spots ended with a disclaimer stating that they were paid for by the US government.

Activists' position and additional lawsuits

Virginia Case Solomon, President and Executive Director of Common Cause, commented on the court's decision: "Ми не зупинимося, доки ця адміністрація не понесе повну відповідальність, і жоден президент від будь-якої партії більше ніколи не зможе розтринькувати й зловживати коштами платників податків для пропаганди" ("We will not stop until this administration is held fully accountable, and no president of any party will ever again be able to squander and misuse taxpayer funds for propaganda").

In addition to the main lawsuit, representatives of the Democratic Party also challenged this advertising in a separate court case filed with a federal court in Washington. The Manhattan court's ruling put an end to days of disputes over taxpayer-funded advertising aired in the final weeks before the midterm elections.