Ahead of Wednesday's impending government shutdown, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) prominently displayed a banner on its official homepage. This message unequivocally attributed blame for the shutdown to the "Radical Left," an allegation swiftly condemned by an ethics watchdog as a "blatant violation" of the Hatch Act.
The controversial banner text read: "The Radical Left are poised to shut down the government, inflicting immense hardship upon the American populace, unless their $1.5 trillion wish list is granted. The Trump administration is committed to keeping the government operational for its citizens."
Public Citizen, a non-profit consumer advocacy group, formally lodged a complaint with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) on Tuesday. The organization asserted that HUD's website declaration constituted a clear breach of the Hatch Act, characterizing the statement as "highly partisan." Their filing claimed it sought to "idolize the Trump administration... without assigning any culpability for the impasse leading to the shutdown."
The Hatch Act, a federal law enacted in 1939, imposes restrictions on specific political activities of federal employees, as well as certain state, D.C., and local government personnel engaged with federally funded programs, according to the Office of Special Counsel. Its fundamental purpose is to guarantee the impartial administration of federal initiatives.
Craig Holman, a government ethics expert with Public Citizen who filed the complaint, voiced profound concern. "Given the unequivocal nature of this Hatch Act breach, how could HUD possibly believe it could go unaddressed?" he questioned. Holman attributed this perceived impunity to the Trump administration's alleged weakening of executive branch ethics enforcement bodies. He stated that the offices tasked with upholding the Hatch Act – including the Office of Special Counsel, the Office of Government Ethics, and the Attorney General's office – have been compromised by individuals loyal to or intimidated by President Trump. Holman further emphasized that the "sheer audacity" of HUD's partisan advertisement, funded by taxpayers to campaign against Democrats and promote the administration, would be exceedingly difficult for even a diminished ethics office to ignore.
CBS News has sought official comments from both HUD and the White House regarding Public Citizen's complaint and Holman's serious allegations.
The Office of Special Counsel operates as an independent federal agency, mandated to enforce the Hatch Act, investigate misconduct within the executive branch, and protect whistleblowers from retaliation. Earlier this year, President Trump dismissed Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger, the former head of the OSC, replacing him with acting Special Counsel Jamieson Greer. Dellinger's subsequent lawsuit challenging his termination was upheld by a federal appeals court. Additionally, during his tenure, Mr. Trump has removed more than a dozen federal inspectors general, individuals crucial for investigating impropriety across government agencies.
The government shutdown commenced at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, a direct consequence of the Senate's inability to advance a short-term funding measure that had previously cleared the House earlier in the month.
Democrats have advocated for the funding bill to incorporate a permanent extension of tax credits, originally passed in 2021, for individuals receiving health insurance via the Affordable Care Act marketplace. They also seek a reversal of Medicaid reductions associated with Mr. Trump's "big, beautiful bill," enacted this summer. Conversely, some Republican lawmakers have asserted that the aforementioned bill did not, in fact, cut Medicaid, but rather aimed to eradicate fraudulent practices within the program. House Speaker Mike Johnson stated in June, prior to the bill's passage, "We are not cutting Medicaid; we are fortifying the program. Our objective is to diminish the prevalent fraud, waste, and abuse within Medicaid to ensure its vital role for countless individuals."
Amidst the unfolding shutdown, both Democratic and Republican lawmakers engaged in mutual recriminations. Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer urged Republicans on Tuesday night to "discard the trivialities and become serious" by midnight. Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader John Thune characterized the shutdown as "entirely preventable," emphasizing that "if the government shuts down, the onus is on the Senate Democrats."
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Originally published at: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/government-website-hud-blames-shutdown-on-radical-left-ethics-group-calls-it-blatant-violation-hatch-act/
