A federal judge in Washington, D.C. has ordered the Trump administration to stop hiding data about how it is spending congressionally appropriated money, reported Politico's Kyle Cheney on Monday.
Watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed the suit, arguing that the administration was trying to unlawfully conceal information that would indicate it is violating the 1974 Impoundment Control Act, which prohibits the president from refusing to spend money Congress approved simply because they disagree with that purpose.
The order, issued by U.S. Senior District Judge Emmet Sullivan, agreed with CREW's assessment, rejecting the Trump administration's claims that the Congressional reporting requirements in question were unconstitutional.
"The law is clear: Congress has sweeping authority to require public disclosure of how the Executive Branch is apportioning the funds appropriated by Congress," wrote Sullivan. "Under the law, the decision of the Executive Branch must be made public within two days of the decision. And if Defendants need to make a new decision, that new decision must also be made public within two days. Plaintiffs in this lawsuit monitor these decisions, and they have the right to report on and re-publish this information."
"As explained in this Memorandum Opinion, there is nothing unconstitutional about Congress requiring the Executive Branch to inform the public of how it is apportioning the public’s money," Sullivan continued. "Defendants are therefore required to stop violating the law!"
The Trump administration, led by Project 2025 architect Russ Vought at the Office of Management and Budget, believe the Impoundment Control Act is unconstitutional and want to set up a legal confrontation that gets that law struck down and the president given new powers to block funding for whatever program he wishes even long after it was signed into law.
Even some Republican lawmakers have raised objections to this idea as a massive power grab away from the legislative branch.
