Democracy Defenders Fund (DDF) today filed a second letter with the Government Accountability Office (GAO), expanding DDF’s call for an investigation into whether multiple federal agencies violated the law by publishing partisan political messages during the government shutdown. Besides its initial request regarding the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), DDF is now urging GAO to examine similar conduct by the Departments of Treasury, Agriculture, Justice, State, and Health and Human Services. These actions appear to violate the Anti-Deficiency Act and other longstanding prohibitions on the use of federal funds for political propaganda. 

Following is a statement by Virginia Canter, chief counsel and director of ethics and anti-corruption at DDF:

“The President and cabinet-level officials should be working exclusively to end the current government shutdown. Instead, the Trump Administration is using government platforms to spread propaganda and attack political opponents, turning agencies like HUD and Treasury and the Department of Justice into campaign tools, all on the taxpayer’s dime. It’s unethical, a clear abuse of power, and it erodes the crucial barrier between governance and political self-interest. This is how authoritarians operate: they blur the lines between the state and themselves."

Read the full letter HERE

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Democracy Defenders Fund brings together a nonpartisan team to work with national, state and local allies across the country to defend in real-time the foundations of our democracy.