Airports Decline to Show Video Blaming Democrats for Shutdown: Hatch Act Concerns Raised
Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport has decided not to show a video featuring Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem blaming Democrats for the federal government shutdown. The video highlights the impact of the shutdown on TSA employees and operations, with Noem expressing hope that Democrats will recognize the importance of reopening the government. BWI Airport stated that the video does not provide essential travel-related information for passengers and is not required to be displayed.
Salisbury Regional Airport and Hagerstown Regional Airport have also not shown the video, with Salisbury's director mentioning that they were not asked to play it and do not have the capability to do so. Airports nationwide have declined to show the video, citing concerns about political advertising in public facilities and potential violations of the Hatch Act, which prohibits partisan activity by federal workers using public equipment or facilities.
The Trump administration's actions during the shutdown, including posting notices on agency websites attributing the shutdown to Democrats, have raised Hatch Act concerns. Public Citizen has filed complaints over what they deem as partisan messaging by federal departments, accusing the administration of using taxpayer dollars for political purposes. Sen. Maria Cantwell has requested an investigation into the Noem video for potential Hatch Act violations, criticizing the use of federal assets for political attacks against Democratic members of Congress.