Government website blames shutdown on "radical left." Ethics group calls it a "blatant violation."
Source: CBS News
Updated on: October 1, 2025 / 12:14 PM EDT
Ahead of Wednesday's government shutdown, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on Tuesday posted a banner in large type on its homepage blaming the shutdown on the "Radical Left," an allegation that an ethics group said was a "blatant violation" of the Hatch Act.
"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," the message read. "The Trump administration wants to keep the government open for the American people."
A complaint filed Tuesday with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel by the nonprofit consumer advocacy group Public Citizen alleged that the banner on HUD's website was a "blatant violation" of the Hatch Act, describing it as "highly partisan" and seeking to "idolize the Trump administration … without attributing any blame for the lack of compromise causing the shutdown."
The Hatch Act is a federal law passed in 1939 that "limits certain political activities of federal employees as well as some state, D.C., and local government employees who work in connection with federally funded programs," according to the Office of Special Counsel. Its purpose, among other things, is to "ensure that federal programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion," the office explains.
Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/government-website-hud-blames-shutdown-on-radical-left-ethics-group-calls-it-blatant-violation-hatch-act/
A message on the homepage of the Department of Housing and Urban Development on the eve of the government shutdown, Sept. 30, 2025. CBS News
Public Citizen PRESS RELEASE - HUD Homepage is Blatant Violation of Hatch Act, New Complaint Alleges
Public Citizen COMPLAINT (PDF) - https://www.citizen.org/wp-content/uploads/OSCFiling-HolmanCraig-HA-09302025835.pdf
REFERENCE - https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143539899
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(which my agency was under) for making some remarks during an event. Between that and blaming her for the rocky healthcare.gov rollout, she was pretty much forced to exit.
Meanwhile during 45's first term, Kellyanne Conway was routinely and blatantly violating the Hatch Act but only getting some hand slaps. Now there's nothing but acceptance of this type of "electioneering" as their way of "doing business". 
I know a bunch of us had been read the riot act if we wanted a simple printed image of the Obama family hung up in our cubicles or offices. We were only allowed a printout of the "official portrait". Every year we had mandatory "Ethics Training", which included reiterations about the Hatch Act.
