WASHINGTON − A federal judge mandated on Tuesday that Army officials make public internal documents related to former President Donald Trump’s contentious visit to Arlington National Cemetery in August by the end of this week.

Judge Paul Friedman from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia approved the request on Monday, following a lawsuit from American Oversight, a non-partisan organization aimed at promoting government transparency. The judge formalized the directive on Tuesday, according to the organization.

American Oversight indicated that they filed suit seeking the immediate release of military records, specifically any incident reports from the event on August 26, which followed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.

“With the election only two weeks away, there is a strong public interest in understanding how the government acted in response to an incident involving a major presidential candidate who has previously politicized military matters,” Chioma Chukwu, the interim executive director of the group, stated after the ruling.

The judge’s order is related to Trump’s visit to the military cemetery for a ceremony honoring 13 U.S. soldiers who died in Afghanistan during the withdrawal of U.S. forces.

During the event, a cemetery official attempted to uphold rules against political campaigning on the premises but was reportedly “rudely pushed aside” by Trump’s staff, as stated by the Army. The cemetery official did contact law enforcement but ultimately chose not to pursue charges.

According to a news release from American Oversight on Tuesday, the judge acknowledged “the significant public interest in promptly disclosing information to the public.”

American Oversight stated they submitted their FOIA request on August 30 and asked Arlington for expedited processing on September 25. Additionally, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland, also requested the incident report from the Secretary of the Army on August 30.

During the hearing on Monday, Judge Friedman pointed out that American Oversight sought quick action after receiving no reply from the Army, according to the non-profit. The court ruling grants the Army until October 25 to release the parts of the incident report that are not exempt from disclosure.

A spokesperson for the Trump campaign did not provide an immediate response to a request for comments. However, Army spokesperson Cynthia Smith confirmed on Tuesday that the Army would comply with the judge’s order.

Trump maintains he and his campaign acted appropriately

Trump claimed that he did nothing wrong; however, critics argued that the GOP nominee exploited the ceremony honoring the fallen soldiers for political purposes.

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, commented in late August that Trump “disrespected sacred ground merely for a political stunt.”

Some veterans’ organizations also voiced their disapproval of Trump’s actions. In response, Trump repeatedly addressed the issue at campaign rallies, defending his conduct.

“They suggest that I used the graves for public relations, but I did not,” Trump stated at a rally in Pennsylvania in late August.

Trump campaign representatives claimed at the time that they possess video footage of the incident that proves the staff’s innocence, but they have resisted calls to make it public.

Army reaffirms rules against political activities on cemetery grounds

Trump faced accusations of breaching regulations prohibiting campaigning at one of the nation’s most hallowed sites. Following backlash from some veterans regarding the campaign’s behavior, Army officials seemed to indirectly criticize Trump’s campaign for unjustly attacking the professionalism of the cemetery staff member involved in the situation.

The Army reminded that those involved in the ceremony were made aware of federal laws, Army regulations, and Department of Defense policies that “clearly prohibit political activities on cemetery grounds.” Trump’s campaign team was reportedly photographing and filming during the visit.

Trump asserted that he was invited by the families of servicemen who were killed and felt it was important to attend despite some scheduling conflicts.

“I don’t need the publicity,” he stated.