(The Center Square) - A federal judge ruled Friday that the Trump administration violated employees’ First Amendment rights by allegedly hijacking their email accounts to send automated partisan messages blaming Democrats for the government shutdown.

Following a lawsuit by the American Federation of Government Employees, represented by Democracy Forward and Public Citizen Litigation Group, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that the Trump administration “infringed upon its employees’ First Amendment rights.”

The evidence is “undisputed that the Department implemented the Revised Message without its employees’ consent,” and blamed Democrats, the ruling stated.

“Political officials are free to blame whomever they wish for the shutdown, but they cannot use rank-and-file c

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