Justice Department apologises after Trump adverts air despite court order
The Justice Department apologised to a federal judge after government-funded adverts featuring Donald Trump continued to air despite an order to stop them. The judge had ruled the adverts were likely unlawful and required the administration to cancel future bookings, raising concerns about the use of public money for material that resembles campaign advertising.
Watchdog groups said nearly 400 adverts ran after the order took effect. The department said a federal holiday delayed some employees from seeing the ruling and acknowledged the court’s instruction not to spend or transfer the remaining $20 million allocated to the campaign. The White House has described the spots as patriotic public service announcements, while critics have questioned whether they comply with restrictions on political activity by government employees.
- DOJ apologised after Trump adverts aired despite a court order.
- Watchdogs counted nearly 400 post-order broadcasts.
- The court barred use of the remaining $20 million.
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The US Department of Justice is part of the federal government, while federal judges can rule on whether government actions comply with the law. Court orders require officials to follow a judge’s directions, including directions about how public funds may be used.
Government adverts are usually meant to provide public information, but adverts featuring a president can raise questions about whether they promote a political figure. US rules limit the use of government resources for political activity, so the dispute concerns both the adverts’ purpose and the handling of the money set aside for them.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The administration’s strongest case is that the adverts were intended as patriotic public service announcements, not campaign material, and that the continued broadcasts resulted from a holiday-related delay in staff receiving the ruling. It has apologised and acknowledged the judge’s instruction, which supports the view that this was an administrative failure rather than a deliberate attempt to defy the court.
The case against
Critics’ strongest case is that public funds should not be used for government adverts that resemble campaign promotion, particularly when rules restrict political activity by government employees. Nearly 400 spots reportedly aired after the judge ordered future bookings cancelled, making the episode a serious failure to comply with the court and raising questions about stewardship of the remaining $20 million.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Trump’s Justice Department issues rare apology for airing $20M of taxpayer funded ads despite ban”.