Democrats sue US President Trump over taxpayer-funded ad campaign

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Trump has faced a bipartisan backlash over ads that critics say violate prohibitions on taxpayer-funded propaganda. The Democratic National Committee has filed a lawsuit against United States President Donald Trump over television advertisements that were publicly funded and allegedly used to promote his political policies. Ken Martin, who heads the Democratic Party’s leadership body, suggested in a statement on Wednesday that the ads were designed to bolster Republican odds in the upcoming November 3 midterm elections.

“Donald Trump is misusing millions of taxpayer dollars to fund pure propaganda ads in a last-ditch attempt to save Republicans in November,” Martin said. Later that day, Common Cause, a democracy watchdog group, filed a second lawsuit over the same set of ads. It argued that the ads were “overtly political” and therefore ran afoul of laws that bar public funds from being used for political propaganda.

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“These ads are not public-service announcements,” Common Cause said in its lawsuit, citing a justification Trump has offered for the television spots. “They are personal publicity and political propaganda through and through. ” Both lawsuits argue that, to create the ad campaign, Trump directed the White House to repurpose $20m in funds that Congress allocated for commemorative activities related to border security, including for those killed in the line of duty.

That manoeuvre, they argue, violates the separation of powers established in the US Constitution. “The founders made clear more than 200 years ago that the executive can spend money only according to Congress’s direction,” Common Cause’s lawsuit said.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.