Trump Administration Seeks Supreme Court Block on FCC Ad Rules
The Trump administration filed an emergency application with the Supreme Court to overturn a ruling requiring the FCC to finalize low-cost political TV advertising rates.
The Trump administration and Republican groups filed emergency applications to the Supreme Court on Thursday to overturn a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. The appeals court had ordered the Federal Communications Commission to finalize rules by Friday noon that would extend low-cost television advertising rates to political parties and joint fund-raising committees.
The dispute centers on the 1971 Federal Election Campaign Act, which historically guaranteed discounted rates only to individual candidates. Although the Supreme Court ruled in September that political parties should also have access to these rates, the Fourth Circuit accused the FCC of engaging in "gamesmanship" and "dragging its feet" by stalling the formalization of the policy.
Solicitor General D. John Sauer challenged the appeals court's mandate, describing the order as a "flagrant abuse" of judicial power. The administration is now seeking immediate intervention from the high court to block the Friday deadline.
