US: Motion for civil contempt filed in foreign aid freeze lawsuit

WASHINGTON, D.C., February 19, 2025 — Today, on behalf of the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition (AVAC) and Journalism Development Network, Inc. (JDN), Public Citizen Litigation Group filed a motion for civil contempt in its lawsuit seeking emergency relief from the freeze on foreign assistance funding and orders to stop work.

Last week, a federal court issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) in the case, prohibiting the blanket suspension of foreign-assistance funding and enjoining enforcement of stop-work orders, as well as orders suspending or terminating foreign assistance grants.

Last night, the administration revealed in a status report that it has not restarted any funding or allowed the resumption of work. Rather, it claimed that it reviewed thousands of affected State Department and USAID grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements, and concluded that nearly every one should be suspended or terminated.

Lauren Bateman, an attorney with Public Citizen Litigation Group and lead counsel on this case, commented on the recent developments:

“The defendants’ response to last week’s temporary restraining order amounts to direct defiance of the Court and the rule of law.

“The administration’s brazen noncompliance cannot be condoned. In today’s filing, we ask the court to order the defendants to immediately comply with the terms of the TRO by rescinding all suspensions, stop-work orders, and terminations issued since January 19, 2025. We also ask the court to issue an order holding the enjoined defendants in civil contempt and imposing monetary penalties until they comply.”