US District Judge of the District Court for the District of Rhode Island, John McConnell, an Obama appointee, accused President Trump of violating his court order blocking his federal funding freeze.
In January Judge McConnell temporarily blocked Trump’s freeze on federal funding in response to a request from 22 Democrat state attorneys general and DC.
Trump’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) previously put a temporary pause of agency grant, loan and other financial assistance programs.
“The American people elected Donald J. Trump to be President of the United States and gave him a mandate to increase the impact of every federal taxpayer dollar. In Fiscal Year 2024,of the nearly $10 trillion that the Federal Government spent, more than $3 trillion was Federal financial assistance, such as grants and loans,” the OMB said.
“This memorandum requires Federal agencies to identify and review all Federal financial assistance programs and supporting activities consistent with the President’s policies and requirements,” the OMB memo said.
Last month the Democrat state attorneys general went back to court and told the judge that FEMA was withholding funds in violation of his previous injunction.
The Trump Justice Department insisted FEMA was in compliance with the judge previous order.
However, on Friday, Judge McConnell sided with the attorneys general and ordered FEMA to disburse millions of dollars in grants to the 22 Democrat states. The judge also accused the Trump Administration of violating his order.
“FEMA’s manual review process violates the Court’s preliminary injunction order,” Judge McConnell wrote.
It is important to note that Judge McConnell is conflicted because he received over $100 million in government funding for his NGO.
Judge McConnell’s organization has received $117.6 million in government funding in total (ending in 2023).
Maybe that’s why he wanted the money to keep flowing. He’s expecting several more million this year!
In a bombshell revelation, America First Legal has uncovered damning evidence that federal Judge Jack McConnell, the Rhode Island judge who halted President Trump’s temporary spending freeze, has been deeply entrenched in a taxpayer-funded nonprofit—receiving over $128 million in government funding during his tenure.
According to AFL’s investigation, McConnell has served on Crossroads’ Board of Directors since 2006, including a decade-long stint as Chair. Even after taking his seat on the federal bench in 2013, McConnell continued to appear as a Director on the NGO’s IRS Form 990 filings.
/1BREAKING — FEDERAL JUDGE McCONNELL MUST RECUSE HIMSELF IMMEDIATELY.
AFL has uncovered a major potential conflict of interest for Judge John McConnell, Chief Judge of the federal district court of Rhode Island, who halted President Trump’s temporary spending freeze.
READ ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/mDEBDxd5hX
— America First Legal (@America1stLegal) February 16, 2025
