By Jan Wolfe and David Shepardson

WASHINGTON, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Democratic Party officials sued US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, seeking a court order blocking his administration from using ‌taxpayer money to pay for election-related TV ads.

The lawsuit, filed by the Democratic National ‌Committee in federal court in Washington, accused Trump of a "blatant violation of the statutory ban on the use of appropriations ​for 'publicity or propaganda purposes.'"

Taxpayer-funded television ads glorifying Trump began airing in late September, sparking a bipartisan backlash.

A separate suit was filed in New York on Wednesday seeking a court order to block the taxpayer-funded ads. The suit says "these ads are not public-service announcements -- they are personal publicity and political propaganda through ‌and through." The plaintiffs are ⁠watchdog group Common Cause, a public em...