Judge Accuses Trump Administration of Defying Mandate to End Spending Freeze
The judge mandated that the administration “immediately restore frozen funding."
TroibNews 
A federal judge has stated that the Trump administration is in violation of his order to restore funding for federal grants that the White House attempted to halt through a blanket spending freeze last month.
U.S. District Judge John McConnell instructed the administration to “immediately restore frozen funding” while his order remains active. This includes funding for the National Institutes of Health as well as commitments made under the Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Improvement and Jobs Act.
In his ruling, McConnell noted that “the broad categorical and sweeping freeze of federal funds is, as the Court found, likely unconstitutional and has caused and continues to cause irreparable harm to a vast portion of this country.” He further asserted, “These pauses in funding violate the plain text of the [order].”
This ruling came in response to claims from a group of Democratic state attorneys general who contended that the Trump administration was still obstructing spending that McConnell's order was meant to unblock. The Trump administration defended its actions by stating it aims to eliminate fraud in these programs. However, the judge said this justification does not adequately explain why the order is being ignored. “The freezes in effect now were a result of the broad categorical order, not a specific finding of possible fraud,” he stated.
McConnell also suggested that he may consider holding officials in contempt for continuing to disregard his order, referencing a 1975 court ruling that indicated, “Persons who make private determinations of the law and refuse to obey an order generally risk criminal contempt even if the order is ultimately ruled incorrect.”
Debra A Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
U.S. District Judge John McConnell instructed the administration to “immediately restore frozen funding” while his order remains active. This includes funding for the National Institutes of Health as well as commitments made under the Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Improvement and Jobs Act.
In his ruling, McConnell noted that “the broad categorical and sweeping freeze of federal funds is, as the Court found, likely unconstitutional and has caused and continues to cause irreparable harm to a vast portion of this country.” He further asserted, “These pauses in funding violate the plain text of the [order].”
This ruling came in response to claims from a group of Democratic state attorneys general who contended that the Trump administration was still obstructing spending that McConnell's order was meant to unblock. The Trump administration defended its actions by stating it aims to eliminate fraud in these programs. However, the judge said this justification does not adequately explain why the order is being ignored. “The freezes in effect now were a result of the broad categorical order, not a specific finding of possible fraud,” he stated.
McConnell also suggested that he may consider holding officials in contempt for continuing to disregard his order, referencing a 1975 court ruling that indicated, “Persons who make private determinations of the law and refuse to obey an order generally risk criminal contempt even if the order is ultimately ruled incorrect.”
Debra A Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
