Since the first day of the federal government shutdown, official email accounts and numerous government websites have been telling the public to blame Democrats for the current halt to many services, raising questions about whether the political messages run afoul of federal law.
On the first day of the shutdown, email accounts at the U.S. Department of Education began sending out-of-office messages pointing fingers at Democrats for the funding crisis, USA TODAY reported.
“Thank you for contacting me,” said one message. “On September 19, 2025, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 5371, a clean continuing resolution. Unfortunately, Democrat Senators are blocking passage of H.R. 5371 in the Senate which has led to a lapse in appropriations.”
Among the numerous sites blaming Democrats, the Department of Housing and Urban Development posted a banner across the site claiming, “The Radical Left in Congress shut down the government. HUD will use available resources to help Americans in need.”
The Centers for Disease Control blamed the “Democrat-led government shutdown” and the Drug Enforcement Agency and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms simply says “Democrats have shut down the government.”
Many federal websites appear to have either no message addressing the shutdown or neutral messages stating sites won’t be updated because of a lapse in funding.
“I’ve heard all the cries and the outcry and people saying this is propaganda, that it’s a violation of the Hatch Act,” Housing Secretary Scott Turner said, calling the criticism an effort by “Democrats and the far left” to distract from their “irresponsible actions.”
Rep. Robert Garcia, D-California, the ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, on Thursday, Oct. 2, requested that the Office of Special Counsel, which enforces the Hatch Act, launch an investigation into the messages.
“I write regarding the Trump Administration’s apparent violations of the Hatch Act, and illegal use of government resources to promote a false, partisan Republican political agenda. We believe that violations of the Hatch Act fit a pattern of abuse and politicization of executive branch agencies, which we will investigate fully,” Garcia wrote. “Violations of the law must be held accountable.”
The nonprofit group, Public Citizen, also has filed multiple Hatch Act violation complaints about the messages.
“The Trump administration is violating the Hatch Act with reckless abandon — using taxpayer dollars to plaster partisan screeds on every government homepage that they can get their hands on,” said Craig Holman, a government ethics expert with Public Citizen who filed the complaints. “They must not be allowed to continue this behavior unchecked.”
The email responses and website statements are the latest examples of the Trump administration using the formal levers of government in new, controversial ways to pressure Democrats amid a legislative standoff largely over disagreements related to health care cuts.
The federal government partially shut down this week when lawmakers could not come to an agreement on funding legislation before midnight on Oct. 1. Votes to move ahead with funding on an interim basis failed in the Senate, where Republicans needed 60 votes to advance their version of the measure. The bill, which would have provided funding through Nov. 21, failed 55-45.
A different Senate bill that would have restored the health care subsidies cut by Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” also failed, 53-47, with most Democrats in favor and most Republicans against.
On Sept. 16, Rep. Tom Cole, of Oklahoma’s 4th District, introduced the bill that eventually failed in the Senate. A motion to recommit, or amend the bill, failed in the House on Sept. 19, 218-210, then the Republican-backed bill passed 217-212.
Here’s a look at the Hatch Act, and what it means.
What are government websites saying about Democrats?
Here are screenshots of some of the federal government websites that say the current federal government shutdown is the fault of the Democratic party.
What is the Hatch Act?
The Hatch Act is a federal law passed in 1939 that limits certain political activities of federal employees, as well as some state, D.C., and local government employees who work in connection with federally funded programs, according to the U.S. Office of the Special Counsel.
The law’s purposes are to ensure that federal programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion, to protect federal employees from political coercion in the workplace, and to ensure that federal employees are advanced based on merit and not based on political affiliation.
Who’s covered by the Hatch Act?
Except for the president and vice president, all federal civilian executive branch employees are covered by the Hatch Act, including employees of the U.S. Postal Service. Even part-time employees are covered by the act, and all employees continue to be covered while on annual leave, sick leave, leave without pay, or furlough.
Employees who work on an occasional or irregular basis, or who are special government employees, are subject to the restrictions only when they are engaged in government business.
Can federal employees use government emails to send political messages?
No. A federal employee cannot send or forward a partisan political email from either his government email account or his personal email account (even using a personal device) while at work, according to the Office of the Special Counsel.
It’s also an improper use of official authority for a supervisor to send or forward a partisan political email to subordinates, at any time.
In an advisory opinion from 2024, the Office of the Special Counsel found that Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona did not violate the act when he sent an email regarding the pause of student loan forgiveness programs that were paused because of “Republican-elected officials” who sued to stop the program.
How can you file a Hatch act complaint?
Individuals alleging a violation of the Hatch Act can use OSC’s Online Filing Portal by clicking the green File a Complaint button. The Office of the Special Counsel currently is closed because of the government shutdown: “Complaints may still be filed, but most will not be addressed until OSC reopens.”
What’s the penalty for violating the Hatch Act?
After investigating an alleged Hatch Act violation, OSC may seek disciplinary action against an employee before the Merit Systems Protection Board. When violations are not sufficiently egregious to warrant prosecution, OSC may issue a warning letter to the employee involved.
An employee who violates the Hatch Act is subject to a range of disciplinary actions, including removal fromfederal service, reduction in grade, debarment from federal service for a period not to exceed five years, suspension, letter of reprimand, or a civil penalty not to exceed $1,000, the OSC said.
USA TODAY contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Federal websites are blaming Dems for shutdown. Is that legal?
Reporting by Dan Basso, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
