Round Up: Wisconsin Democrats and Democracy Defenders Action File Lawsuit Against the Trump Administration
MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin Democrats are standing up against the Trump administration’s rampant corruption. Last Friday, Democracy Defenders Action and Hecker Fink LLP filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on behalf of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin and candidate for Wisconsin Treasurer, Yee Leng Xiong, challenging the Trump administration’s unlawful use of taxpayer dollars for partisan political advertisements.
The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is the first state party to file a suit against the Trump administration’s illegal election propaganda—and unlike Wisconsin Republicans who rubber-stamp Trump’s cost-raising policies, Wisconsin Democrats are fighting on behalf of taxpayers to keep their hard-earned dollars from being used by the federal government for partisan purposes.
Read more below about how Wisconsin Democrats are fighting back against the Trump administration:
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Dems Sue Administration Over Taxpayer-Funded Pro-Trump Ads
By: Valerie Yurk, Mary Spicuzza
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The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is suing President Donald Trump and his administration to block taxpayer-funded advertisements promoting the president, saying they are illegally using public funds to boost Republicans ahead of the midterm elections.
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In the lawsuit, filed Oct. 9 in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, state Democrats accuse the Trump administration of violating an act President Donald Trump signed into law earlier this year, which prohibits the use of appropriated funds for “publicity or propaganda purposes” not authorized by the Congress.
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“The Constitution forbids the government from tipping the electoral scales,” the suit states. “By deliberately launching these illegal ads in contemplation of, and with a view towards influencing, the 2026 federal and state mid-term elections, Defendants have interfered with the electoral process, the sanctity of which is ‘of the most fundamental significance under our constitutional structure.'”
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The ads, they allege, “fall squarely within this prohibition.”
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They also accuse the administration of violating the Hatch Act, which makes it illegal for federal government workers to engage in certain political activities, among other federal laws.
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“Hardworking Wisconsinites paid their taxes. Now, Donald Trump is betraying their trust and breaking their laws by using their tax dollars to fund political propaganda,” Yee Leng Xiong, the Democratic candidate for Wisconsin treasurer, said in a statement.
Wisconsin Examiner: Wisconsin Democrats Sue Trump, Federal Agencies Over Taxpayer Funded Campaign Ads
By: Erik Gunn
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The Wisconsin Democratic Party sued President Donald Trump and a group of federal agencies Friday for using federal funds on partisan campaign ads ahead of the November midterm elections.
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“Weeks before a midterm election that will largely serve as a referendum on the President’s policies, the Trump Administration has turned the federal treasury into a campaign war chest,” the lawsuit charges.
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“Over the past three weeks, the Administration has transferred millions of taxpayer funds to run thousands of illegal campaign ads that promote the Administration and attack the President’s opponents — all aimed at improving the chances of Republican Party candidates in the upcoming election.”
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The lawsuit was filed in federal court in the District of Columbia.
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“To pay for this campaign, the Administration took money Congress appropriated for two very different purposes: securing the Nation’s borders, and honoring Department of Homeland Security employees, including those who died in the line of duty,” the lawsuit states.
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Democracy Defenders Action and the law firm Hecker Fink filed the lawsuit on behalf of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin as well as Yee Leng Xiong, the Democratic candidate for state treasurer.
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“The Trump administration has effectively looted the federal treasury, taking funds meant to protect our borders and honor fallen officers to finance their own election propaganda,” said Norm Eisen, co-founder and board member of Democracy Defenders Action. “This is an insult to every taxpayer in our country and an assault on our democracy, an attempt to tip the scales that is as desperate as it is offensive and illegal.”
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“When Wisconsinites turn on the TV, we want to watch the Brewers and Packers keep winning, not be insulted with our own tax dollars being wasted on ads to prop up a failing President,” said Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Devin Remiker.
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The ads ran between Sept. 23 and Sept. 29, airing at least 2,766 times, with one ad airing more than 1,300 times, the lawsuit states. It cites a New York Times article published Oct. 2 that reported the ads were produced under a $20 million contract using Homeland Security funds, as well as other reports by ABC, NBC and the Washington Post about the movement of funds to a Customs and Border Patrol account for commemorative events and the money’s subsequent use for the ads.
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“The ads do none of the things for which this money was appropriated. None of the ads have any relation to ‘Line-of-Duty death memorials,’ ‘Department or agency anniversaries,’ or ‘commendation ceremonies.’ Nor do any of the ads relate to enhancing border security,” the lawsuit states.
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While Trump announced Oct. 5 that his super PAC MAGA Inc. would pay for the ads, the White House said the super PAC would not reimburse more than $10 million that had been spent on the ads. In addition, the suit charges, on Oct. 6 the administration aired another taxpayer-funded ad praising the administration for its removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
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In addition to Trump, the lawsuit names the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection office, the Office of Management & Budget, and the heads of those agencies: Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott and OMB Director Russell Vought.
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The ad campaign violates several federal laws, the suit charges. Those include a blanket ban on using federal appropriations “for publicity or propaganda purposes” in the U.S. as well as bans on “purely partisan activities” and “self-aggrandizement” by federal agencies.
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In addition, the ads violate the federal Hatch Act, which prohibits political advocacy by federal officials, the suit charges. They also violate a federal law that blocks agencies from spending federal funds Congress hasn’t appropriated and blocks using appropriate funds “to pay a publicity expert unless the funds are specifically appropriated for that purpose,” the suit states.
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Besides violating the U.S. Constitution by putting “the government’s thumb on the electoral scale,” the suit says the administration spent taxpayer funds on partisan ads without legal authority and in violation of federal laws, violated the Administrative Procedure Act and exceeded the administration’s authority under federal laws.
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“It is particularly egregious that Defendants have funded their illegal propaganda campaign by converting funds Congress appropriated to keep the citizens of this country safe and to commemorate Department of Homeland Security (‘DHS’) employees, including those who have died in the line of duty,” the lawsuit charges.
The Milwaukee Courier: Wisconsin Democrats Sue Trump Administration for Propaganda TV Ads
By: Drake Bentley
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The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is suing the Trump administration, alleging they violated anti-propaganda laws by airing television ads featuring the president which were funded by taxpayers.
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The state party is working with Democracy Defenders Action and the campaign of Yee Leng Xiong, the Democratic nominee for state treasurer.
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“While Wisconsinites can barely afford basic needs, the Trump administration is using our taxpayer dollars for illegal Republican campaign ads,” said Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Devin Remiker. “The Democratic Party of Wisconsin has never rolled over in the face of threats from MAGA extremism— and we are joining Democracy Defenders Action and Yee Leng Xiong’s campaign to fight back against the Trump administration and his billionaire buddies’ attempt to buy another election in Wisconsin. When Wisconsinites turn on the TV, we want to watch the Brewers and Packers keep winning, not be insulted with our own tax dollars being wasted on ads to prop up a failing President.”
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The lawsuit seeks a judgement to find the ads unconstitutional and that Trump should reimburse taxpayers.
WMTV: Wisconsin Democrats File Lawsuit Over Taxpayer-Funded Pro-Trump Ads
By: Vanessa Kjeldsen
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The Democratic Party of Wisconsin filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump and his administration for using taxpayer dollars to air partisan advertisements.
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The lawsuit claims the administration is illegally using federal dollars to run ads to support Republicans in the upcoming election.
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“Weeks before a midterm election that will largely serve as a referendum on the President’s policies, the Trump Administration has turned the federal treasury into a campaign war chest,” the lawsuit alleges.
Wisconsin State Journal: Wisconsin Democrats Sue Trump Over Taxpayer-Funded Ads
By: Mitchell Schmidt
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President Donald Trump’s administration is illegally using taxpayer dollars to fund pro-Republican campaign ads heading into elections that will determine which party controls Congress next year, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin asserts in a lawsuit filed Friday.
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The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, alleges the administration is violating long-standing federal legislation, which Trump reauthorized in February, barring the use of federal money “for publicity or propaganda purposes within the United States.”
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Plaintiffs in the lawsuit claim the ads “fall squarely within this prohibition.” The lawsuit also claims Trump is violating the Hatch Act, which bars government officials from using their official powers to engage in partisan activity.
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Plaintiffs ask the court to declare the ads illegal and stop the use of federal dollars to fund them. The flurry of ads comes just weeks before the 2026 midterms. Wisconsin’s Nov. 3 election includes the first open race for governor in more than 15 years, several other statewide contests and a slew of legislative battles that will determine which party controls the state Legislature next year.
Wisconsin Examiner: Wisconsin Democrats’ Lawsuit Joins Broader Attack on Taxpayer-Funded Trump Ads
By: Erik Gunn
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A Wisconsin Democratic Party lawsuit is part of a broader response to the Trump administration’s use of taxpayer funds to pay for partisan ads, a lawyer whose organization is handling the case told reporters Monday.
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“It is important to pursue multiple angles of attack and ensure that there is a clear court order” to block the administration’s action, said Norm Eisen, a co-founder and board member of Democracy Defenders Action, during an online news conference Monday afternoon.
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Democracy Defenders Action and the law firm Hecker Fink are representing the Democratic Party of Wisconsin in a lawsuit filed Friday. The ads, aired on broadcast, cable and streaming platforms, were labeled as paid for by the U.S. government but promoted the actions of the Trump administration and criticized opponents of President Donald Trump, the lawsuit charged.
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“Using that taxpayer money to pay for political ads is illegal, unconstitutional, and just wrong,” Eisen said Monday. Other ads “actually were recycled Trump campaign ads simply relabeled ‘paid for by the United States government.’”
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Despite Trump administration claims that the payment for the ads was being shifted from the federal government to a Trump-supporting super PAC, Devin Remiker, chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, said he saw some of the government-funded ads as recently as Sunday’s Green Bay Packers football game.
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“It is very clear that we cannot take this administration or Republicans at their word and we have to hold them accountable through the courts,” Remiker said.
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He said the state party’s lawsuit reflected the fact that elections are not merely national, but are administered at the state and local level as well. “We felt it was very important even though other litigation was going on to have a state party that was speaking out, to have a state candidate that was speaking out,” Eisen said. “Ours is the only case involving a state party and a state candidate.”
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Along with the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, the Democratic candidate for state treasurer in November, Yee Leng Xiong, is also a plaintiff in the lawsuit. He joined the lawsuit “to hold the Trump administration accountable for using your taxpayer dollars for ads promoting himself,” Xiong said. “Our tax dollars should serve the people, not promote a politician.”
Leader-Telegram: Democratic Organization Discusses Lawsuit Over Taxpayer-Funded Ads
By: Chris Vetter
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An organization that sued President Donald Trump’s administration over the use of taxpayer dollars for “partisan political advertisements” discussed the lawsuit Monday in an online conference call with media across the state.
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“We are fighting one front in a multi-front war to defend our constitution and the separation of powers,” Eisen said.
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Eisen noted that some of the ads were just recycled from Trump’s prior campaigns for president.
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“It bore the label of ‘paid for by the United States government,’” Eisen said.
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Yee Leng Xiong said it was irresponsible for the taxpayer-funded ads to air when so many people are struggling to pay for food and rent.
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U.S. Rep Mark Pocan (D-Madison) said this election “is about corruption,” and that includes Trump earning more than $2 billion from cryptocurrency and other projects since he returned to the presidency. Pocan pushed for legislation to ban members of Congress from buying and selling stocks.
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“We have a complicit Congress that allows Trump to do whatever he wants,” Pocan said.
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Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Devin Remiker noted that he saw one of the ads during the Green Bay Packers game Sunday. Remiker said he’s received calls from people, asking about the ads.
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“They cannot believe their taxpayer dollars are funding this,” Remiker said. “We have to call out what we are seeing. This is completely unacceptable and cannot be allowed to happen again.”
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Trump has faced bipartisan backlash for the ads, which glorify him and echo his campaign pitch as voters cast early ballots with the midterm elections less than a month away.
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