Several US federal agencies have been accused of violating the Hatch Act by blaming Democrats for an impending government shutdown. The Hatch Act restricts political activities of government employees. The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued statements faulting 'radical liberals' and the 'radical left' for the potential shutdown.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sent an email to employees stating that Democrats were blocking a continuing resolution due to 'unrelated policy demands'. Legal experts, including Kathleen Clark of Washington University, said this constitutes a violation of the Hatch Act, as it has a partisan political goal.
Richard Painter of the University of Minnesota noted that the coordinated messaging across multiple agencies suggests a concerted lobbying effort using taxpayer-funded systems, which may also violate laws on lobbying with federal funds. Agencies involved include the interior, commerce, and labour departments, among others.
The Trump administration has reportedly 'decapitated' the agency responsible for enforcing Hatch Act violations, leading to concerns about lawlessness. A shutdown would furlough around 750,000 federal employees, with some possibly facing termination as the administration reduces the workforce. However, FDA chief Marty Makary assured staff that his agency would be exempt from such cuts due to its public safety role.
