Legal analyst Katie Phang blasted the Trump administration Tuesday over what she described as its “outrageous” defiance of a federal court order blocking a $20 million taxpayer-funded advertising campaign.
Phang, speaking on her YouTube program, accused administration officials and Justice Department lawyers of showing contempt for the judiciary after television advertisements continued airing despite a temporary restraining order issued Sunday.
“I am sharing your frustration for the contempt, and I’m using that word intentionally,” Phang said. “For the contempt, the defiance, and the just outright middle finger action that we're seeing from this administration.”
“And disturbingly,” she added. “Nothing is being curbed by the DOJ lawyers that know better — not should know better — they know better.”
The controversy stems from a lawsuit brought by Common Cause and other plaintiffs challenging the administration’s campaign-style advertisements.
A federal judge in New York ordered the administration to halt the ads for 14 days, effective at 6:45 p.m. Sunday, October 11, and required officials to notify vendors and submit a compliance report within 24 hours.
But according to the court filing highlighted by Phang, the advertisements continued appearing on television after the order took effect. The plaintiffs requested a status conference but stopped short of seeking contempt sanctions, a decision Phang, a former Miami-Dade prosecutor, sharply criticized.
“I disagree. I would immediately go to contempt,” she said, arguing that Justice Department lawyers should also face consequences for the administration’s actions.
“Some kind of teeth to the orders from these federal judges has to happen,” Phang warned Tuesday. “Because if not, you're going to see the same s—t over and over again from this administration.”
“And nothing’s going to get done.”