The group wants the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission to step in and block any further broadcasts. Public Citizen says the ads were built to boost Trump's image ahead of November's midterm elections, crossing the line from public information into campaign messaging paid for with taxpayer dollars.
Federal law bars using appropriated funds for what Public Citizen calls government propaganda or self-aggrandizement. The complaint argues the ads don't inform the public about government business, but instead promote a politician's standing before an election that will decide control of Congress.
If regulators agree and act, it could stop the ads and set a marker for how future administrations use official channels to shape public opinion during campaign season. If they don't, the complaint becomes another test of how much room the executive branch has to blend government communication with political messaging.
Three ads, one complaint, and a question about where government messaging ends and a campaign spot begins.