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Housing Department Blames 'Radical Left' for Shutdown in Website Pop-Up Alert, Prompting Ethics Questions
HUD's website blamed the 'radical left' for a potential shutdown during funding talks, raising ethics concerns under the Hatch Act amid federal employee criticism.
- On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development published a popup and banner on HUD.gov stating, `The Radical Left are going to shut down the government and inflict massive pain on the American people unless they get their $1.5 trillion wish list of demands.`
- With funding set to expire early Wednesday, HUD's web message arrived Tuesday morning during stalled Congress talks and warned about the looming shutdown, agency officials said.
- Federal employees and analysts argued the banner breached the Hatch Act’s spirit, with Donald Sherman saying it may not violate the technical definition but others called it inappropriate.
- A HUD spokeswoman said the banner warned the `Far Left` would cause a shutdown while officials pushed back privately and staffers called the update propaganda.
- The posting heightened government-wide anxiety about a shutdown, sparking concern across the federal workforce as internet users and elected officials reacted online and President Donald Trump warned of mass firings.
40 Articles
40 Articles
Explaining The Hatch Act: When Government Agencies Go Too Far In Political Messaging
Source: Douglas Rissing / Getty On Sept. 30, the nonprofit consumer advocacy group Public Citizen filed a formal complaint with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) against the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), alleging a Hatch Act violation, according to court documents obtained by CBS News. The federal law passed in 1939 “limits certain political activities of federal employees as well as some state, D.C., and local govern…
HUD secretary defends use of public website to trash Dems
(NewsNation) — Scott Turner, President Trump’s secretary of Housing and Urban Development, rejects accusations his agency was misusing its government website by publicly blaming Democrats for the government shutdown. A red banner at the top of hud.gov on Wednesday evening offered this assessment: “The Radical Left in Congress shut down the government. HUD will use available resources help Americans in need.” Congress gets paid during a gove…
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