The Democratic National Committee sued the Trump administration Wednesday over its taxpayer-funded advertisements that portray President Donald Trump in a favorable light, alleging the ads violate federal laws on government spending and propaganda.The DNC cited a measure Trump signed into law this year that says funds appropriated by Congress can’t be used “for publicity or propaganda purposes within the United States not heretofore authorized by Congress.”The lawsuit also cites the Anti-Deficiency Act, which bars spending government money that hasn’t been appropriated by Congress, and the Purpose Statute, which says taxpayer funds can be used only for the specific purposes approved by Congress.The DNC said the administration’s use of taxpayer dollars for “campaign-style advertisements” deprived Democrats “of a fair electoral process by adding public funds to the resources available to support Republican candidates.” The use of public funds places Democratic candidates at an electoral disadvantage, it argued.The White House, the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of Management and Budget, which are all named as defendants in addition to Trump, didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit.The ads, launched last month, sparked criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, many of whom questioned their legality.Trump reversed course Monday, announcing he would no longer use government funds for the ads and saying he and his PAC, MAGA Inc., would foot the bill moving forward, instead.He didn’t say whether the government would be reimbursed for the ads that already ran.Since Trump’s announcement, several of the ads have continued to run with the disclaimer that they were paid for by the U.S.
government.Asked by NBC News whether those were paid for before or after Trump pledged to cover the costs, the White House wouldn’t say either way.A person familiar with the ads said that the ad buy for the spots, pla...