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DNC Sues Trump Over $20M in Taxpayer-Funded Ads
Confirmed
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) filed a lawsuit in federal court in Washington, DC, seeking to halt the use of $20 million in taxpayer funds for election-related TV ads promoting President Donald Trump.
According to court filings, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) transferred the funds from a Customs and Border Protection account labeled 'Commemorative Events,' which was intended for agency anniversaries, employee recognition ceremonies, and memorial services.
The DNC argues that the spending violates federal restrictions on government-funded propaganda and seeks a court order to block further payments.
The lawsuit claims that the ads, which began airing in September, are a violation of the statutory ban on using congressionally appropriated funds for 'publicity or propaganda purposes within the United States not heretofore authorized by Congress.'
However, the DNC and Common Cause, a nonpartisan government watchdog group, argue that the ads are overtly political and improperly use public resources to advance Republican political interests ahead of the November midterms.
Common Cause filed a separate lawsuit over the same set of ads, arguing that the spots are 'overtly political' and run afoul of laws that bar public funds from being used for political propaganda.
The lawsuits cite a measure Trump signed into law this year that prohibits funds appropriated by Congress from being used for 'publicity or propaganda purposes within the United States not heretofore authorized by Congress.'
The ads have faced bipartisan backlash, with Reuters and Ipsos polling finding that 86 percent of Americans surveyed said it was inappropriate for Trump to have used public money for the ads.
On October 6, Trump announced on Truth Social that he would no longer use government funds for the ads and that he and his PAC, MAGA Inc., would foot the bill moving forward.
Despite this announcement, the White House said a fifth ad began airing on Tuesday with a notice it was paid for by the U.S. government, and a person familiar with the ad campaign said the government-funded ad buy placed prior to Trump’s pledge would end this week.
What's confirmed
- “Americans deserve better than to have their hard-earned tax dollars used for Trump’s illegal schemes,” he said in a statement Wednesday.
- Lawsuits claim government funds were used for partisan propaganda in violation of law. 12 outlets told this the same way.
- The ads have faced bipartisan backlash, and Reuters and Ipsos polling found that 86 percent of Americans surveyed said it was inappropriate for Trump to have used public money for the ads.
- Ken Martin, who heads the Democratic Party’s leadership body, said in a statement that the ads were “a last-ditch attempt to save Republicans in November,” and the DNC asked a federal judge to stop further use of federal funds.
- Not found in: KTTC, Democracy Docket, AP News, The Guardian, Fox News, NBC News, Reuters, Washington Post, Axios, Al Jazeera The lawsuits said Trump directed the White House to repurpose $20m in funds that Congress allocated for commemorative activities related to border security, and they argued the maneuver violates the separation of powers in the US Constitution.
- Common Cause filed a separate lawsuit over the same set of ads, arguing the spots were “overtly political” and therefore ran afoul of laws that bar public funds from being used for political propaganda.
- The White House said a fifth ad began airing on Tuesday with a notice it was paid for by the U.S. government, and a person familiar with the ad campaign said the government-funded ad buy placed prior to Trump’s pledge would end this week.
- The DNC lawsuit asked a judge to stop the administration from using congressionally appropriated funds for “publicity or propaganda purposes within the United States not heretofore authorized by Congress,” and it also cited the Anti-Deficiency Act and the Purpose Statute.
What's still developing
- "Presidential Public service announcements are nothing new. Administrations of both parties have used public service announcements to explain policy and make the case for the nation’s direction," a White House spokesperson told Fox News Digital, citing numerous examples.
- Furthermore, "the Obama Administration used national advertising to promote Obamacare subsidies and open enrollment, and a digital campaign to sell its Waters of the United States rule," they said, adding that "the Biden Administration poured hundreds of millions of dollars into "We Can Do This" — television, digital, radio, and print spots — to drive a nationwide public health message."
- The disputed funds originated from a $175 million appropriation Congress approved for Homeland Security as part of Trump's immigration enforcement agenda.
- Federal appropriations law prohibits agencies from using congressionally approved funds for unauthorized "publicity or propaganda." The restriction covers certain forms of partisan messaging and government-funded promotion of public officials.
- The White House has defended the commercials as public service announcements comparable to government advertising used by previous administrations.
- Asked about repayment on October 6, he told reporters, "We'll decide."
- "As gas and grocery costs rise and his approval numbers continue to crater, this president has stooped to taking money from a fund intended for memorials for Americans killed in the line of duty to promote his failed policies," he said in a statement.
- The OMB approved reallocating the funds into a U.S.
- “It appears that the $20 million that had been contracted for this has not all been spent yet, and so they will continue to run ads paid for by taxpayer dollars, and so we think we need to stop that now, and not another dollar of taxpayer dollars should be spent on these ads,” Noureldin said.
- Trump defended the ads as “positive promotion for our Great U.S.A.” and said he would start paying for future ads using his MAGA Inc. super PAC, while he did not commit to reimbursing money already spent.