WASHINGTON — The Democratic National Committee sued President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday, Oct. 7, over a series of government-funded television ads it says amount to illegal political propaganda, The Associated Press reported via KTAR News.
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, alleges Trump personally directed the ads and asks a judge to declare them unlawful and block further federal spending on them. The spots, which began in September and echo the president’s campaign themes, have cost more than $12 million to air, according to AdImpact, and $20 million in Homeland Security Department money has been tapped for them.
Trump on Monday called the ads “positive promotion for our Great U.S.A.” and said his MAGA Inc. super PAC would pay for them from now on. But a fifth government-paid ad, about U.S. military action in Venezuela, began running Tuesday, and Trump said “we’ll decide” when asked about repaying money already spent.
DNC Chair Ken Martin called the ads a misuse of taxpayer dollars. Legal experts have said they may violate a federal ban on using appropriated funds for “publicity or propaganda.”
Sources: Associated Press via KTAR News. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Martin Falbisoner / CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
