Complaints Detail Probable Violations of the Hatch Act and the Antideficiency Act 

Washington, D.C. — Democracy Forward today called for two federal agencies to investigate misconduct and potential violations of key laws by the Trump-Vance administration during the government shutdown of October and November 2025. The complaints outline evidence that senior administration officials broke the law when they misused government resources for partisan political messaging and obligated or redirected federal funds during the lapse in appropriations.

In a letter to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC), Democracy Forward details potential violations of the Hatch Act, which bars federal officials from engaging in partisan political activity while performing official duties or using government resources. The letter describes how cabinet officials and agencies used official email systems, government websites, and even videos at airports to cast partisan blame for the shutdown—turning taxpayer-funded infrastructure into a political messaging machine.

In a separate letter to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), Democracy Forward outlines potential violations of the Antideficiency Act, which codifies Congress’s constitutional power of the purse. That complaint documents actions taken during the shutdown that may have unlawfully created new financial obligations or expenditures without congressional authorization, including mass layoff planning, redirection of funds to pay troops, and the purchase of two $172 million private jets for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security during the shutdown.

“The actions we’ve highlighted paint a deeply troubling picture of an administration that exploited their government shutdown as an opportunity to break the law,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. “The Trump-Vance administration appears to have abused the machinery of government – yet again – to unlawfully push partisan messages while simultaneously ignoring Congress’s authority over federal spending. A shutdown is not a blank check to politicize public service or to implement funding schemes Congress never approved.”

Democracy Forward is urging OSC to open investigations into potential Hatch Act violations and pursue appropriate sanctions, and calling on the GAO to investigate whether the administration violated the Antideficiency Act by obligating funds or directing expenditures during the shutdown without lawful appropriations.

Read the letter to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel here, and the letter to the U.S. Government Accountability Office here.