White House accused of violating fedral law in its messages

 Newsweek -   The White House has been accused of violating a federal law, the Hatch Act, over messages disseminated by government departments in the wake of the U.S. government shutdown—the act restricts partisan political activity among federal workers.

After Congress could not agree on a funding measure, the government shut down as midnight passed on 1 October. This means that non-essential government services have ground to a halt, and some federal workers have been furloughed and others laid off.

If it is determined that President Donald Trump's administration has broken the law, it could undermine trust in the White House and raise questions about an overreach of power. Penalties for breaching the Hatch Act include fines, suspensions and removals from employment....

Since the shutdown, advocacy groups have complained that some government communications about the shutdown, including emails and website posts blaming Democrats, violate federal laws restricting the behavior of government departments.