WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell demanded Wednesday that federal investigators examine whether Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem violated federal law by distributing a partisan video message at airport security checkpoints nationwide.
The Washington Democrat wrote to Acting Special Counsel Jamieson Greer requesting an investigation into potential Hatch Act violations. The law prohibits federal employees from engaging in political activity while on duty.
Cantwell alleges Noem's video falsely blames "Democrats in Congress" for the government shutdown's impact on airport operations and TSA employees working without pay.
"This message is not just false; it appears to violate the prohibitions contained in the Hatch Act," Cantwell wrote.
The taxpayer-funded video shows No