Controversy Over Political Language on Federal Websites Amid Government Shutdown
A screen shot a message on the U.S. Forest Service website that some say violates the federal Hatch Act against political activity
Kirk Siegler/NPR
The Trump administration is facing legal challenges due to language on federal websites and in government emails that attribute the government shutdown to Democratic actions. This language, found at the top of federal agency websites and in some automated email responses, refers to the situation as “the Radical Left Democrat Shutdown.”
Critics, including Democrats and a federal workers union, argue that this language breaches the Hatch Act of 1939. This act prohibits executive branch employees from engaging in partisan activities while on duty. Former Idaho Democratic state legislator Todd Achilles has filed a complaint with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, asserting that the language constitutes an unauthorized political message on public platforms.
“I filed the complaint because we don’t play politics with public lands,” Achilles told NPR. “The Forest Service exists to serve all Americans regardless of political affiliation.”
The timeline for addressing Achilles’ complaint remains uncertain. An automatic response from the Special Counsel’s office indicated that the Hatch Act Unit is currently unavailable due to funding lapses.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which manages the Forest Service, has not yet commented on the issue. Since the onset of the shutdown, the department’s automated emails have echoed similar sentiments, stating: President Trump has made it clear he wants to keep the government open and support those who feed, fuel, and clothe the American people.
In related developments, the American Federation of Government Employees has initiated legal action against the U.S. Department of Education over similar email communications and has issued a cease and desist letter. Learn more here.
Retired federal land managers express concern that this language could create a challenging environment for civil servants, especially as the Trump administration has pursued significant reductions in federal staff.
Steve Ellis, a former deputy director of the Bureau of Land Management during the Obama administration, emphasized that partisan messages should not appear on agency websites. “In our careers, we have never seen anything like it,” Ellis remarked in an email.
This article was originally written by www.npr.org
