ADLF Files GAO Complaint vs Trump, Pence, and Saccone For Illegal Use of Taxpayer Money

The American Democracy Legal Fund has filed a complaint with the Government Accountability Office against President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence for using taxpayer dollars to travel in support State Rep. Rick Saccone’s campaign in the upcoming Pennsylvania special election. ADLF is requesting an investigation into whether the three individuals recklessly violated federal law by using government resources for electoral gain.

“Trump tweeted that he was going to Pennsylvania to help Rick Saccone — which is as blatant an admission as you can get that a taxpayer-funded event was done for partisan electoral purposes,” said ADLF’s Brad Woodhouse. “Taxpayers shouldn’t be footing the bill for Trump’s politicking. His actions aren’t just a violation of promises he made on the campaign trail, it’s also a violation of the law.”

The complaint states, “According to the White House, these campaign stops were meant to support the massive, deficit-busting tax cut for corporations and billionaires that Trump forced through Congress despite the pleas of millions of middle-class Americans who – along with their children and grandchildren – will end up footing the bill for this disaster for generations. But the dishonest scheme was exposed when, just before his Pennsylvania event, President Trump tweeted, “going to Pennsylvania today in order to give my total support to RICK SACCONE, running for Congress in a Special Election (March 13).”

The complaint also targets Republican Senate candidates in West Virginia, who received similarly questionable support from the White House at taxpayers expense.

Further, the events in both states were nearly identical to Trump’s campaign rallies, even including the same music playlists with Trump walking out to “God Bless The USA” and leaving to “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”

Read the full complaint here.