Federal judge orders a halt to taxpayer-funded ads featuring Trump

U.S. District Judge Jennifer Rochon in Manhattan on Sunday, Oct. 11, ordered the Department of Homeland Security to stop airing TV ads featuring Trump, bought under a $20 million Customs and Border Protection contract. Common Cause, the union SEIU 32BJ and others sued, arguing the spending exceeded what Congress authorized and broke limits on taxpayer-funded publicity and propaganda. A Border Patrol official had already told the court the campaign would end that night; Rochon ruled the case was not moot, canceled that evening's airings and barred any further spending on the ads for 14 days.