A federal judge in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday ruled against the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts’ code banning staff from participating in political speech, finding the office went too far in implementing the prohibitions.

The AO adopted the restrictions in 2018, which included bans on staff donating to candidates and belonging to political parties. Director James Duff argued they were necessary in part to maintain the independence of the judiciary, but two staffers alleged it violated their First Amendment rights in a lawsuit brought forward by the American Civil Liberties Union.

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