Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said a federal judge's temporary order halting taxpayer-funded television ads featuring President Donald Trump should be followed by an accounting of who approved the ads and how much was spent.
In an Oct. 12 statement, the New York senator called the order a win for taxpayers and said it should not end scrutiny of the advertising campaign. He said he had sought an investigation and preservation of records related to the campaign.
U.S. District Judge Jennifer Rochon in Manhattan issued a temporary order Sunday directing the administration to cancel remaining federally funded promotional television spots, The Associated Press reported. The order is not a final ruling on whether the ads violated federal law.
Schumer asked who authorized the campaign, how much it cost and who would be held accountable. He had previously asked federal watchdogs to examine the ads' funding and production, as FingerLakes1 reported Oct. 7.
The administration has defended the advertisements as public-service announcements. Its position and the legal challenges remain distinct from Schumer's characterization of the ads as illegal campaign messaging.
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