HUD Accused of Hatch Act Violation Over Partisan Shutdown Banner

In the lead-up to a recent government shutdown, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) displayed a prominent banner on its website, attributing blame for the impending shutdown to the ‘Radical Left.’ This action has drawn swift condemnation from an ethics watchdog group, Public Citizen, which has filed a formal complaint alleging a ‘blatant violation’ of the Hatch Act.

The banner’s message stated, ‘The Radical Left are going to shut down the government and inflict massive pain on the American people unless they get their $1.5 trillion wish list of demands,’ adding, ‘The Trump administration wants to keep the government open for the American people.’

Public Citizen’s complaint to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) argues that the banner was ‘highly partisan,’ designed to ‘idolize the Trump administration,’ and failed to acknowledge any shared responsibility for the legislative deadlock. The Hatch Act, a federal law dating back to 1939, restricts political activities of federal employees to ensure government programs are administered non-partisanly.

Craig Holman, a government ethics expert with Public Citizen, criticized HUD’s move, questioning how they expected to avoid repercussions, especially given perceived weakening of ethics enforcement offices within the executive branch. Holman suggested that the ‘sheer crassness’ of using taxpayer funds for such a partisan advertisement would be difficult for even a ‘neutered ethics office’ to overlook.

The shutdown itself, which began at 12:01 a.m. on a Wednesday, followed the Senate’s failure to pass a short-term funding bill previously approved by the House. Democrats had sought to include an extension of 2021 tax credits for Affordable Care Act recipients and a rollback of Medicaid cuts from a bill passed earlier this summer. Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, maintained their bill focused on eliminating Medicaid fraud rather than cutting the program.

Lawmakers from both parties engaged in a blame game, with Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer urging Republicans to ‘cut the garbage and get serious,’ while Senate Majority Leader John Thune declared the shutdown ‘totally avoidable’ and placed responsibility on Senate Democrats.

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