Colorado’s Michael Bennet calls on Trump administration to remove ‘partisan political messages’ from official government websites

U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (D-Colo) is calling on President Donald Trump’s administration to remove “partisan political messages” from federal agency websites and other communication channels.

The Trump administration last week began posting messages blaming Democrats for the ongoing government shutdown on official government websites. On Tuesday, Bennet and 24 other Democratic and independent senators signed a letter calling the messages “a blatant violation” of a federal law that prohibits federal agencies from spending funds on propaganda or lobbying Congress to influence legislation.

“These activities also appear to violate the Anti-Lobbying Act and the Hatch Act,” Bennet and the other Senators wrote. “We urge you to immediately remove these illegal, partisan messages to comply with the law and hold accountable those who have directed this behavior.”

The Hatch Act limits the political activities of federal employees and agencies to ensure that programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion and to protect employees from political coercion in the workplace. The Anti-Lobbying Act, meanwhile, prohibits the use of federal funds by government agencies that are intended to influence the public to support or oppose pending legislation.

A week into the government shutdown, Republicans and Democrats remain opposed to each other’s government funding proposals. Democrats want to include an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies, and Republicans, who control Congress, want to pass a “clean” funding bill that doesn’t include those benefits. Each party has blamed the other side for the shutdown.

The messages blaming Democrats began appearing on official government websites as the shutdown became a reality on Oct. 1.

“The Radical Left Democrats shutdown the government,” states a message posted to the top of the U.S. Department of Agriculture website, including Forest Service webpages. “… President Trump has made it clear he wants to keep the government open and support those who feed, fuel, and clothe the American people.”

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Small Business Administration and Department of Justice websites also included similar messages. Some of these departments, as well as the Department of Labor, Department of Education and Department of Veteran Affairs, also set out-of-office messages to direct blame toward Senate Democrats for voting against Republican funding proposals, according to the senators’ letter.

Bennet and the lawmakers wrote in the letter that these messages are “misleading” because “Democrats have voted four times over the last week to fully fund the government only to be rebuffed by our Republican colleagues.”

Violating the Hatch Act can be cause for removal from federal service and can result in penalties, including being banned from government employment for up to five years, according to Bennet’s office. Violating the Anit-Lobbying Act can result in civil penalties of $10,000 to $100,000.

“Spirited public debate has its place, but agency resources, including websites or emails, should not be used to send overtly political, and in this case, misleading messages, to the American people,” the Senators’ letter states.