Judge rules Trump administration not in contempt in Washington

A judge in Washington state has decided not to hold the Trump administration in contempt over a case related to funding for gender-affirming care. The state’s Attorney General, Nick Brown, had argued that President Trump violated a court order when he canceled a grant to Seattle Children’s Hospital. This grant was meant for health care services for transgender youth. At the time of the cancellation, a temporary restraining order from U.S. District Court Judge Lauren King was active, which blocked Trump’s efforts to stop federal funding for such services. On March 4, Judge King issued a preliminary injunction that continued to protect funding for Washington, Oregon, Minnesota, and Colorado. However, the judge found that the Justice Department did not break her orders because the grant funding was not directly for gender-affirming care. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) revoked the grant worth over $200,000, stating it no longer fit the agency's priorities. The DOJ argued that the cancellation did not violate the court's orders, while the state’s attorney insisted it was part of a broader pattern of grant defunding. Judge King ruled that there was not enough evidence to prove contempt and criticized the Justice Department's interpretation of her orders. She emphasized that a mere possibility of breaking a court order is not enough to establish contempt. Instead of finding contempt, the judge ordered the Trump administration to share documents more quickly as part of the legal process. The Attorney General's office noted that this was just one of several grants that had been canceled.