October 1, 2025
Multiple agencies posted partisan shutdown messages; DOE out-of-office replies were altered, attribution to Vought is unverified
OMB forces agencies to post partisan blame, alters worker emails
🔐Ethics🏛️Government
Multiple federal agencies posted partisan messages blaming Democrats for the shutdown that began Oct. 1, 2025; news outlets count at least 10 of the 15 Cabinet departments with partisan language on websites or social accounts.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development posted a large banner reading, "The Radical Left in Congress shut down the government."
The Department of Education's auto-reply messages for many furloughed staff were set to include text referencing H.R. 5371 and blaming Senate Democrats, according to employees and a union complaint.
The American Federation of Government Employees and Democracy Forward filed a lawsuit over DOE's altered auto-replies on Oct. 3, 2025.
Public Citizen filed multiple Hatch Act complaints, including complaints naming HUD and the SBA, in the first days of the shutdown.
The independent Office of Special Counsel and other watchdog bodies had limited operations during the shutdown, complicating immediate Hatch Act enforcement.
🔐Ethics🏛️Government
Test Your Knowledge
10
Q1
Public Citizen filed Hatch Act complaints against HUD and SBA for posting partisan messages on their websites.
Q2
Which federal official directed agencies to use partisan language blaming Democrats for the shutdown?
Q3
Who enforces the Hatch Act and what penalties can they seek?
Q4
How many federal agencies received partisan template language from OMB directing them to blame Democrats?
Q5
Department of Education employees discovered their personal out-of-office messages were altered without their consent to include partisan language.
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Russell Vought
Director, Office of Management and Budget (confirmed Feb. 6, 2025)
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Cabinet department
Department of Education
Cabinet department
American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE)
Federal workers' union
Public Citizen
Government watchdog