[UPDATE] House Democrats ask GAO and special counsel to investigate Trump's taxpayer-funded ads
A new government-paid Iran-war ad aired on Fox News as Senate Democrats filed a bill to fine the budget office.
Jamie Raskin (Rep-D Maryland) and George Whitesides (Rep-D California) want two watchdogs to probe a new government-paid ad celebrating the Iran war. The 1-minute spot aired on Fox News. They asked the Government Accountability Office and the Office of Special Counsel to investigate.
PREVIOUSLY
On Sept. 20, Customs and Border Protection paid the full $20 million to LMD Agency, a Maryland ad firm, for Trump TV ads. A day earlier, the White House budget office had moved that border-security money into a "commemorative events" account. Trump then defended the ads: "I'm not running for office."
- Patty Murray (Sen-D Washington) introduced a bill to cut the White House budget office's funding by $20 million for each "propaganda" violation.
- A DHS official told NBC that senior Customs and Border Protection leaders were cut out of the decision to buy the ads.
- Raskin and Whitesides: "stealing taxpayer dollars to pay for Mr Trump's narcissistic ego trips is plainly illegal."