The letter cites all of these examples as evidence and was signed by 11 other Democratic senators: Angela Alsobrooks and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland; Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut; Cory Booker and Andy Kim of New Jersey; Kirsten Gillibrand of New York; Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff of California; Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware; Tina Smith of Minnesota; and Ron Wyden of Oregon.
The group is also asking the GAO to make a legal determination on whether out-of-office messages that were modified without the consent of federal employees violate federal laws.
The American Federation of Government Employees filed a lawsuit last month on behalf of Department of Education employees, and a federal judge ruled Friday that the modified partisan language violated their First Amendment rights, deeming the measure unconstitutional.
Senate Democrats point out in their letter to the GAO that federal law prohibits agencies from using appropriated funds “to generate advertising designed to influence Congress to support or oppose legislation or appropriations.”
“When agencies violate restrictions on the use of appropriated funds for advertising or propaganda, GAO generally finds that those actions also violate the Antideficiency Act,” the lawmakers write.
They are also asking the GAO to identify any and all officials responsible for the decision to post partisan messages related to the shutdown. Beyond that, senators are looking at the costs associated with the messages, including personnel and technology expenses used at each applicable agency.
Finally, Democrats are asking the GAO whether the current shutdown could impact its ability to decide if and how any relevant regulations were violated.
The GAO is led by U.S. Comptroller Gene Dodaro, who has held that position since 2008.
