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Lawmakers call for action on ‘plainly illegal’ taxpayer-funded ads to promote Trump
The Guardian • • nation
Key Points:
- Two Democratic lawmakers, Jamie Raskin and George Whitesides, have requested investigations into whether the Trump administration illegally used taxpayer funds to air TV ads promoting Donald Trump shortly before the 2022 midterm elections.
- The ads, which aired starting September 23, feature praise of Trump and include messages similar to his 2024 campaign, raising concerns they constitute pre-election propaganda funded by public money.
- The lawmakers allege the ads may violate multiple laws, including prohibitions on government-funded publicity or propaganda, the Anti-Deficiency Act, federal criminal statutes, and the Hatch Act, arguing that executive branch staff likely helped produce them.
- The White House defends the ads as educational and patriotic, while Trump has offered to repay funds if the ads are found improper; some Republicans have expressed concern, though the FCC chair supports the ads.
- This controversy adds to ongoing scrutiny of government advertising spending during the Trump administration.
