Trump holds back billions in funding despite court ruling, states tell judge

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: USA Today

Published 12:52 p.m. ET Feb. 6, 2025


A federal judge on Thursday said he stood ready to enforce an order he issued blocking President Donald Trump's administration from freezing federal grants, loans and other financial assistance after Democratic-led states said billions of dollars in funding was still being tied up. U.S. District Judge John McConnell in Providence, Rhode Island, during a virtual court hearing, said state agencies had a "rightful concern" that they were still not able to fully access money nearly a week after he issued his temporary restraining order.

He issued that January 31 order at the behest of Democratic attorneys generals from 22 states and the District of Columbia, determining it was necessary even after the White House's Office of Management and Budget rescinded its wide-ranging directive that had announced the funding freeze. McConnell said the order was necessary because of evidence the policy had remained in effect despite OMB's rescission, which he said was in "name-only" and possibly done to frustrate a legal challenge.

A lawyer with Democratic New York Attorney General Letitia James' office told McConnell on Thursday that even after his ruling, state agencies were still having difficulty accessing federal funds they were entitled to. "We've had communications from the defendants indicating that they believe there are certain funds not subject to the TRO, including the billions of dollars of infrastructure legislation and the Inflation Reduction Act," Rabia Muqaddam, a lawyer with James' office, said on behalf of the other states.

She said she believed the temporary restraining order McConnell issued on January 31 was "very clear" that no funding should be paused, yet state agencies "haven’t been able to access that money and are being told that funds are frozen."

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/02/06/trump-stops-billions-despite-court-order/78291496007/

[Karadeniz]

1. What is meant by ready to enforce an order?

[NotHardly]

3. Enforce it now and stop this dithering!

[the nelm]

14. This kind of dithering in the court cases against him prior to the election...

is what got us to this point in the first place!!

[zorbasd]

20. The enforcers comes from the executive branch.

So, when the Executive Branch is captured by a criminal fascist entity, expect crickets.

[Native]

6. Does anyone know how he would enforce this order? What that would even look like? I think that's the big question here.

[TomSlick]

10. He jails federal officials for contempt.

He starts at the bottom and works the way up the chain.

[Native]

11. and if with every arrest there is a pardon, what recourse follows that?

[moonshinegnomie]

17. Civil contemp

No pardons
The judge can start at the bottom and work his way up. He can lock someone up until they obey his order
I was involved in a case where a company ignored a court order. The judge ordered the ceo to appear in court and in the judges word “bring his toothbrush”. The company obeyed the order that afternoon

[TomSlick]

21. There is no pardon for civil contempt. It is within the inherent powers of a court to enforce its orders.

The judge sends the contemptuous person to jail until they purge them self of contempt by complying. The prisoner holds the key to the jail cell. If they comply, they are released.

[Native]

28. Oh, that's right! It's criminal contempt that is possibly pardonable. Thank you so much for clearing this up.

[Diraven]

13. Yeah, but

Who arrests them? Judges don't have their own police force. They would need someone from the DOJ and that's not likely to happen.

[TomSlick]

22. In federal court, the US Marshals Office will enforce confinement orders.

There are Deputy US Marshals assigned to each court.

If the US Marshals Office is unwilling to comply with a court order, there would be a serious constitutional crises. If there is to be such a crises, now is the time.

[Justice matters.]

25. What if the US Marshals get fired. All of them. Fired. No pay.

Bye. Never come back. You're Fired.

Then what?

[TomSlick]

29. Then we have a clear constitutional crises.

We seem to be headed for some constitutional crises. Now is as good a time as any.

[Alice B.]

15. Even if they get pardoned or whatever, it could be mighty unpleasant for each and every one for at least a little while

That's a start.
I'd rather see those flouting the law get arrested and pardoned than not get arrested at all with the system lying down at the outset "because what's the point."

It gives hope and it sends a message. Let the rest of the world see it.

[OldBaldy1701E]

30. It also starts a list of crimes that will follow them in social circles...

Even as they are removed in legal ones.

I like the idea. Make them sit in a cruddy cell until their lawyer can get them out. Let them have to eat jail food and use a communal toilet.

As normal people have had to deal with that kind of thing at least a few times in their lives, let them live like normal people for a fucking change. (Pleas forgive my vulgarity.)

[Alice B.]

31. YES!!! Right?!! I say again, TSF can't pardon them til they've actually been convicted.

And it's a ways between point A and point B.

I'm good with vulgarity. Especially now.

[republianmushroom]

8. has a concept.

[Bluethroughu]

2. Espinoage elkn and his criminal hackers have

Compromised the treasury. The military are the only people that will save us!

Our data and funds have been stole! By criminals aided by the Republicans, president and vp.

Espionage! DANGER DANGER DANGER!

These hackers could have copied files and stole treasury funds for foreign adversaries!

[bluestarone]

4. These fuckers have proved everyday since Nov 5th that they

Lied and cheated their way through this election!! (nothing would change my mind) That's who they are and that's who they will always be. We just can't prove it. Fuck the whole bunch of them.

[Magoo48]

5. Why not tell us what is done?

What y’all plan on doing is irrelevant.

[republianmushroom]

7. That myth 'no one is above the law', is just that a myth.

Laws don't apply to the very wealthy, or, if, your name is trump. Ask the Roberts supreme court if the do or Merrick the Meek.

48 months and counting.

[OldBaldy1701E]

26. Yup. A complete fable used to make children feel better about life in the U.S..

Once one becomes an adult, it is apparent that it is bullpucky.

[PatrickforB]

9. Same shit the Trump family business did to its own vendors. Hold up the money and then tie them up in court

until they either die, go bankrupt or give up altogether.

[sakabatou]

12. Chaos, chaos, chaos. It's all Dump does.

[Bluethroughu]

16. We need military intervention.

[moonshinegnomie]

18. My idea

Military takes over and removes moron. Calls for new elections on 3 months time. Announced no current elected official is eligible to run

[zorbasd]

19. They're challenging the enforcability of the Justice system.

The system is toothless. Full fledged fascists
are in control.

[TomSlick]

23. Be careful for what you wish.

Military coups don't usually end well.

It's an academic question. The US military will not stage a coup.

[JohnnyRingo]

24. How do they "enforce" an order on someone with immunity?

Contempt of court will roll right off his back. Contempt of Congress can be ignored. He will answer to no one and the law can't touch him.
Thanx Supreme Court, you crowned our first king.

[Alice B.]

27. But those under him aren't immune and even if he does nothing but issue pardons all day it will still slow things down