A federal judge with a long history of donating to Democrats has now ruled twice against President Donald Trump—and he’s likely set to do it again.
U.S. District Judge John McConnell, an Obama appointee from Rhode Island, has already blocked two Trump administration efforts involving federal funding. Now, he’s presiding over a third lawsuit—this one brought by 20 Democrat state attorneys general—challenging Trump’s push to withhold funds from so-called “sanctuary” jurisdictions that ignore federal immigration law.
McConnell’s political leanings aren’t a mystery. Before taking the bench, he gave nearly $500,000 in campaign contributions—almost entirely to Democrats. That includes $28,500 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, $25,000 to Sen. Heidi Heitkamp’s campaign, and tens of thousands more to Democratic state parties and candidates across the country, according to Open Secrets and CQ Roll Call.
He was nominated by then-President Obama in 2010 and confirmed by a slim 50–44 Senate vote in 2011.
His wife, Sara Shea McConnell, has also poured money into Democrat campaigns, contributing over $250,000, including to the DNC, the Rhode Island Democratic Party, and to Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse.
