Federal judge rejects ATP request - records still public

HELENA - A federal judge has denied a secretive conservative group's request to block its past bank records from being released to the public.

U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen denied the request by American Tradition Partnership on Tuesday. Christensen says in his order that ATP's request appears to be an appeal of a state court's judgment.

ATP filed the request for a temporary restraining order after District Judge Jeffrey Sherlock of Helena ordered the records' release.

They include bank account activity, copies of checks to vendors and copies of checks from donors.

Christensen writes that federal courts are prohibited from taking cases brought by losers in state court decisions. Christensen also says most of the bank records have been released and the majority of harm to ATP has been done.