3 federal cases where the Trump administration is flouting the directive of the judge — and might be outright violating the law

Judges are questioning whether the Trump administration is ignoring court directives in several disputes. In Washington, Judge Ana Reyes, who handles a fight over a National Park Service golf course, had asked only that the plaintiffs be warned before more than ten trees came down. Just before a three-day weekend, Justice Department lawyers said crews would start clearing 260 trees, and eventually nearly 530. The government described this as long-deferred maintenance tied to a 2019 landscape report. Reyes said she was "beyond disappointed," temporarily barred any removal, and ordered the acting NPS director and a senior Interior appointee to testify at an Oct. 19 hearing, according to MS NOW.

In Manhattan, Judge Jennifer Rochon ordered officials to cancel airings of taxpayer-funded ads praising Trump's record. Plaintiffs reported that two ads still ran in more than 400 spots. A Justice Department letter blamed agency counsel, who saw the email only the next morning, and apologized. Rochon scheduled an in-person conference for Wednesday. Both judges may probe whether lawyers or clients misled them, and contempt is possible, a step Maryland's Judge Stephanie Gallagher took last month.

Summarized by PolitiKool from MS NOW’s reporting. Read the full story at MS NOW →