USAupdated 2h ago2 min read
DNC Sues Trump Administration Over Taxpayer-Funded Pro-Trump TV Ads
DNC filed federal lawsuits to halt taxpayer-funded ads promoting Trump before the midterms. Lawsuits claim government funds were used for partisan propaganda in violation of law.
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Lawsuits over TV ads
The Democratic National Committee sued United States President Donald Trump in federal court in Washington, DC, seeking to block the administration from using taxpayer money for election-related TV ads that the DNC said violate the statutory ban on “publicity or propaganda purposes.” 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.
“Both complaints asked federal judges to stop the use of federal funds to pay for the ads.”
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 lawsuits targeted the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of Management and Budget, and they sought to have the ads declared illegal, with expenditures stopped and steps taken to recover money already spent.
Funding, timing, and Trump
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. The Department of Homeland Security awarded a $20 million contract for the campaign, and AdImpact estimated the advertising campaign had cost more than $12 million to run.
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. 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 is at stake
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. Common Cause’s complaint argued that “These ads are not public-service announcements,” and it sought to ensure that no president could “hijack public funds to fund political self-promotion without congressional approval.”
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. The legal challenges also sought recovery and enforcement steps, with the plaintiffs asking courts to block further taxpayer funding, invalidate the $20 million funding shift and advertising contract, and require the administration to try to recover money that has not yet been spent.