Two lawsuits filed on October 7 challenged the Trump administration’s use of taxpayer money for television ads praising the president ahead of November’s midterm elections. Reuters and the Associated Press reported that the Democratic National Committee and a separate coalition sought court orders stopping public funding of the campaign.
The DNC filed its case in federal court in Washington. Its complaint alleges that the White House developed the ads and the Office of Management and Budget shifted $20 million to finance them through Customs and Border Protection. The party argues that this violates Congress’s restrictions on propaganda spending; these are allegations, not a court ruling.
The ads began appearing in late September, according to Reuters. The DNC says public funding gives Republican candidates an unfair advantage by adding government resources to their political support. Its complaint also says some allocated money remains unspent, making an order stopping further expenditure urgent as the election approaches.
AP reported that Democracy Forward brought the second lawsuit on behalf of a coalition including the watchdog Common Cause. Both cases seek to stop federal spending on the ads. The White House has defended the spots as public service announcements comparable to advertising previous administrations used to explain government policies, according to AP.
Trump said on October 5 that political funds would pay for future broadcasts, Reuters reported. However, the DNC alleges the ads continued to air with government funding notices after that announcement. Reuters also reported that the White House said Trump’s political action committee would not reimburse taxpayers for advertisements already broadcast.
A source briefed on the matter told Reuters that government-funded broadcasts would end this week. The lawsuits nevertheless seek judicial restrictions on further public spending. The dispute puts the boundary between official communications and partisan promotion before federal courts during the final weeks of the congressional election campaign.
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