September 29, 2026 - Washington, D.C. – Pro-democracy and good government advocates have launched an investigation into the use of public 
funding for highly political television and digital advertisements recently aired by the Trump-Vance administration. The ads closely mirror campaign ads aired by the Trump campaign in 2024, and the transparently partisan nature of the ads raises important questions about if the administration unlawfully used public funds to pay for the updated ads, prompting a series of requests filed on Monday by Democracy Forward under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
“The public deserves to know the full extent of how this administration is using taxpayer money to recycle campaign ads, which is a clear violation of the law,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. “Our democracy is threatened when the White House treats public funds like a personal political war chest. The documents we are requesting will shine a light on exactly how much public money was used for these ads, and if the administration fails to disclose the documents, we will sue to uncover the information.”
The FOIA requests submitted today include those sent to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as well as the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and ask the agencies for all communications regarding the ads, as well as the financial paperwork such as invoices and purchase orders related to the airing of the ads.
Read the FOIA requests submitted today here.
Democracy Forward Foundation is a national legal organization that advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy, public education, and regulatory engagement. For more information, please visit www.democracyforward.org.
Source: Democracy Forward
