California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed complaints with the U.S. Government Accountability Office and the U.S. Office of Special Counsel asking them to investigate political advertisements he said misused federal funds.
Beginning September 23, 2026, ads featuring President Trump began airing on Fox News, CNN, and MS Now. Each ad carried the disclosure "paid for by the U.S. government." The ads have cost U.S. taxpayers at least $5.5 million, Bonta said, and aired during NFL football games as recently as this past weekend.
Bonta alleged the ads violate the Hatch Act, a federal law that prohibits federal employees from engaging in partisan activity while on duty. He also said the campaign violates federal law barring the use of taxpayer dollars for partisan and self-aggrandizing publicity or propaganda.
Bonta said one ad is "effectively a frame-by-frame replica of a partisan ad produced and aired by the Trump campaign during the 2024 election cycle."
He asked the Government Accountability Office to investigate the campaign and issue a legal opinion. He also asked the Office of Special Counsel to investigate and prosecute related Hatch Act violations.