Federal Agencies Face Hatch Act Scrutiny Over Shutdown Partisan Messaging

During the 2025 federal government shutdown, several U.S. federal agencies, including the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Small Business Administration, posted partisan messages on their websites blaming "Radical Left Democrats" and Senate Democrats for the funding lapse. These communications extended to internal automated replies for furloughed employees, prompting accusations that the Trump administration violated the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from engaging in partisan political activities while on duty. Public Citizen filed multiple complaints with the Office of Special Counsel alleging that the partisan messaging constitutes a Hatch Act violation and possibly breaches the Antideficiency Act. Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Robert Garcia, have formally requested investigations, while HUD Secretary Scott Turner dismissed the concerns, framing the messages as necessary information for the public. Legal experts remain divided on whether these messages clearly violate the Hatch Act, though ethics specialists view the weaponization of government platforms for partisan messaging as inappropriate and harmful to public trust. This controversy highlights tensions over the politicization of federal agencies during the shutdown and the limits of legal enforcement under the current administration.