Coalition Challenges Unlawful Use of Public Money for Trump Political Ads
NEW YORK — A coalition including a nationwide watchdog group, a service workers union and a candidate for State House in Alabama has filed a legal challenge to the Trump-Vance administration’s unlawful use of public funds for partisan political ads.
In a complaint filed in the Southern District of New York, government watchdog group Common Cause, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 32bj and its Empire State PAC, and candidate for Alabama State House Robert Hunter are uniting to ask the court to stop the government from using taxpayer funds dedicated to other purposes to pay for the unlawful development, creation, or airing of President Trump’s political ads. The coalition is represented by Democracy Forward, Campaign Legal Center Action, and Public Integrity Project Action, Inc. in the matter.
“Taxpayer dollars belong to the American people, not to any president’s personal PR machine,” said Common Cause President and CEO Virginia Kase Solomón. “The widespread, cross-partisan outcry against these ads shows that Americans across the political spectrum don’t want their hard-earned tax dollars wasted on self-promoting propaganda while they’re struggling to afford gas and groceries. We are taking this administration to court to stop this illegal, reckless spending, enforce accountability, and ensure that no president can hijack your tax dollars for their own ego or political agenda.”
“The Trump administration’s use of tax-payer dollars to fund political ads reeks of corruption,” said Manny Pastreich, president of 32BJ SEIU. “As a union representing nearly 200,000 working people who have been hurt by this administration’s anti-immigrant and anti-worker policies, we plan to use every tool at our disposal to fight back against attempts to undermine our democracy. This includes joining this lawsuit and organizing and mobilizing to get out the vote this November.”
"I am deeply concerned and disgusted by the decision to use public resources for partisan political purposes while Alabama families are facing serious uncertainty about their ability to put food on the table. As billions of federal dollars in SNAP funding are being pulled away from Alabama communities, directly threatening the ability of families in my district to afford basic necessities, the President of the United States has chosen to take a personal political interest in my race and use taxpayer-funded resources to advocate for my opponent. That is unacceptable,” said Robert Hunter, candidate for Alabama House District 28. “Our tax dollars should be used to serve the people — not to influence elections, attack political opponents, or advance the interests of one candidate over another. Alabama families should never have to compete with political priorities for the resources they need to feed their children. A political decision was made, and it was clearly not made in the best interest of the people I represent. As a candidate and public servant, I have an obligation to stand up for my constituents and protect their interests. That means demanding accountability and taking every appropriate legal and political step necessary to challenge what appears to be an improper and potentially illegal use of public funds. The people of this district deserve better. They deserve representatives who will fight for their families, their communities, and their tax dollars — not politicians who put partisan political interests ahead of the basic needs of their constituents. I will continue to fight to ensure that the resources meant for Alabama families are used to serve Alabama."
According to reporting, on August 7, President Trump met with Republican strategists who asked the president to use some of the $400 million in his super PAC to support Republicans in tight midterm elections. Weeks later, in late September, “several ads glorifying [President] Trump began appearing across the country.” The ads were not, however, funded by President Trump’s super PAC. Instead, the ads were paid for by taxpayers, after President Trump told Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Vought “to come up with the money” for the president’s advertisements “from within the government.” Though the president is now claiming that future ads will be paid for with non-governmental funds, the administration continues to air Trump’s partisan propaganda that is still being paid for by U.S. taxpayer funds. The use of public money for political purposes remains a violation of the law that the court must address.
One of the ads run by the administration was identical to an ad that President Trump ran as a campaign ad in 2024. The only difference is that instead of a disclaimer that the ad was funded by the campaign, the ad’s disclaimer reads: “Paid for by the United States Government.”
Using taxpayer funds to pay for political ads disregards decades of an unequivocal Congressional mandate that public money not be used to benefit candidates for public office or political causes. In annual appropriations acts since 1952, Congress has included a provision that prohibits the use of appropriated funds for unauthorized “publicity or propaganda,” and for more than 65 years, the Government Accountability Office has interpreted this prohibition to cover at least two types of publications: those that are “self-aggrandizing” or “purely partisan in nature.” Additionally, for nearly 90 years, the Hatch Act has prohibited federal employees from using their positions to engage in political activities.
“American taxpayers shouldn’t have to foot the bill for the president’s politics. The ads are contrary to decades of clear Congressional requirements that prevent partisan ads being funded through taxpayer dollars,” said Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward. “We are honored to work with our clients and eager for a court to intervene to stop these ads.”
"There is no legal justification for using taxpayer dollars to bankroll campaign propaganda," said Campaign Legal Center Action Senior Vice President Bruce V. Spiva. "President Trump and his administration's political advertising scheme is a blatant misuse of taxpayer dollars and a clear violation of the law. It is yet another example of this administration attempting to bypass our constitutionally mandated separation of powers to influence voters while elections are already well underway. We are taking action to protect every American voter, uphold the rule of law and ensure that taxpayer resources are not misused for partisan political gain."
“Spending taxpayer dollars on partisan political ads is as corrupt as it gets,” said Brendan Ballou, founder of the Public Integrity Project. “Even the President’s allies are admitting this is wrong. It’s also illegal, and we’re going to stop it.”
The complaint names a series of defendants, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), its current leader Secretary Markwayne Mullin; as well as the Office of Management and Budget and its director Russ Vought; and the Executive Office of the President and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. The agencies and leaders named in the suit each participated in facilitating the illegal use of public money to air the ads.
Read the complaint filed here.
In addition to this federal lawsuit, Campaign Legal Center filed a Hatch Act complaint with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC), the agency responsible for enforcing the Hatch Act. Democracy Forward has also called on OSC and DHS’s Inspector General to investigate the use of taxpayer funds for a potential Hatch Act violation.
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