سبب مشترك, a national, nonpartisan government watchdog, filed 54 separate complaints against the Trump Administration for violating the Hatch Act, the Anti-Deficiency Act, and the Anti-Lobbying Act—a volume of filings that underscores the breakdown of federal ethics oversight, a system never built to confront coordinated abuses of public power at this scale. The watchdog issued these complaints after an extensive audit revealed hyper-partisan language and political messaging criticizing the Democratic Party and President Donald Trump’s political opponents.  

“The American people deserve a president focused on improving their lives, not one who turns government communications into a partisan campaign megaphone,” said Omar Noureldin, senior vice president of policy and litigation at Common Cause. “The fact that we had to file 54 separate complaints across multiple oversight bodies to address one coordinated and flagrant pattern of misconduct shows just how broken our accountability system is. The system is fragmented, outdated, and not fit for purpose when faced with the scale of coordinated abuse.” 

The complaints allege administration officials violated appropriation laws by using appropriated federal funds to disseminate hyper-partisan messaging during the government shutdown. Some examples include referencing “the Democrat-led government shutdown” on websites for the Centers for Disease Control, attacking the president’s opponents via mass emails to government employees, and more. 

“President Trump and his administration have proven time after time that they care more about a one-party agenda than working people,” says Virginia Kase Solomón, president and CEO of Common Cause. “This kind of political electioneering is expected on the campaign trail, but seeing it reflected on federal government webpages, where millions of Americans seek vital services and public information, is below the president and a reflection of how far his administration will go to achieve its one-party agenda. We must change our system so that it can adequately insulate itself from these internal partisan attacks.” 

Common Cause supports policies that hold the federal government accountable, including stronger protections for the Government Accountability Office, Inspectors General, and the Office of Special Counsel—but incremental reform isn’t enough. The Trump Administration’s conduct has exposed deep structural weaknesses in our oversight framework. Common Cause is calling for a comprehensive overhaul of the federal ethics enforcement system, including the establishment of a single, robust, and independent government watchdog with jurisdiction over the entire executive branch.