WASHINGTON ― Add President Donald Trump’s use of government funding to pay for campaign-style TV ads glorifying himself to the list of scandals congressional Democrats will investigate if they control one or both chambers of Congress next year.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) on Wednesday called for a formal investigation into what he called a “shameless theft of public funds” and violation of multiple federal laws.
“President Trump is obviously desperate for the American people to ‘love’ him,” Raskin wrote, along with Rep. George Whitesides (D-Calif.), in a letter to two government watchdog agencies. “But stealing taxpayer dollars to pay for Mr. Trump’s narcissistic ego trips is plainly illegal.”
The letter, sent to the Government Accountability Office and the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, asks for an accounting of how much the Trump administration spends on the president’s TV ads and a definitive evaluation of whether the spending comports with federal law.
This week, the White House defended the ads as “public service announcements” intended to remind Americans to love their country. Trump himself defended the commercials on Wednesday at the White House.
“These are ads for the country,” Trump said. “I’m not promoting myself because I’m not running for office.”
One of the ads shows images of Trump while vocalists sing the words “love me” over and over. Text flashes saying “largest tax cuts in history” and “reigniting American manufacturing.”
“This could not be a ‘public service announcement.’ Nearly every claim uttered in these ads is false,” Raskin and Whitesides wrote. The pair suggested four federal laws that might be relevant, including a recent appropriation disallowing funds to be used “for publicity or propaganda purposes within the United States.”
Several members of Trump’s own party, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), have said the ads are not an appropriate use of public funds.
The Government Accountability Office is an investigative arm of Congress that issues legal “decisions” that are authoritative but not binding on federal agencies. The U.S. Office of Special Counsel fields whistleblower complaints from within government agencies and enforces laws against political activities by public servants.
If Democrats control the House or Senate next year, they’ll have legal powers to compel the Trump administration to answer questions and hand over documents.