1. United States
2. Md.
3. Letter

I write to urge you to take action regarding the use of federal government communication channels by Republican officials to distribute partisan messaging blaming Democrats for the government shutdown. Such use of official resources for political ends is deeply troubling and appears inconsistent with the Hatch Act’s prohibition on partisan political activity by federal employees. The Hatch Act was enacted to ensure that taxpayer-funded programs and federal employees operate in a nonpartisan manner, free from political coercion or misuse of authority. But by using agency websites and internal communications to blame Democrats (invoked as “the radical left”) for the shutdown, or suggesting templates for federal workers’ out-of-office messages that adopt partisan framing, the administration is converting government infrastructure into a political messaging apparatus. It is not necessary for a communication to name specific candidates to run afoul of the law. The framing of partisan blame - especially by government agencies operating as instruments of the executive - crosses the boundary between legitimate public information and political propaganda. I respectfully ask that you: - Publicly denounce the misuse of federal agency channels for partisan messaging and call for immediate cessation of such messaging. - Encourage or demand oversight (e.g. via congressional hearings or inquiries) into whether the administration’s communications during the shutdown violated the Hatch Act or other ethics laws. - Urge your colleagues to support any Hatch Act complaint investigations and to hold accountable any officials who violate the law. The integrity of our democratic institutions depends on public trust in unbiased, lawful administration of government resources. When federal agencies are turned into tools of propaganda, that trust is eroded, and the line between governance and politics becomes dangerously blurred. I hope you will take strong steps to remedy this partisan abuse of public institutions.