The Wisconsin Democratic Party and Yee Leng Xiong, its candidate for state treasurer, filed a federal lawsuit Friday alleging the Trump administration improperly used taxpayer money to air ads promoting the president ahead of the November midterm elections. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, names President Donald Trump, the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Office of Management and Budget, and leaders of those agencies as defendants. Democracy Defenders Action and the law firm Hecker Fink brought the case on behalf of the party and Xiong. The lawsuit alleges that the administration used money Congress had appropriated for border security and events honoring Homeland Security employees, including those who died in the line of duty, to pay for political advertising. It argues that the ads had no connection to the purposes for which those funds were authorized and were intended to benefit Republicans in the 2026 elections. According to the complaint, ads featuring Trump began airing Sept. 23 on broadcast, cable and streaming services, including during Sunday political programs and college and professional football games. The filing says the ads aired at least 2,766 times from Sept. 23 to Sept. 29, with one spot running more than 1,300 times. It also alleges another taxpayer-funded ad aired Oct. 6, praising the administration’s removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The complaint cites reporting that the ads were produced under a $20 million contract using Homeland Security funds. Trump said Oct. 5 that his political action committee, MAGA Inc., would pay for the ads. The lawsuit says the White House indicated the committee would not reimburse more than $10 million already spent. The plaintiffs argue that the spending violated federal restrictions on using public funds for publicity or propaganda, partisan activity and self-promotion by government agencies. They also allege violations of the Hatch Act, federal appropriations rules, the Administrative Procedure Act and the Constitution. Those claims have not been established in court. “Over the past three weeks, the Administration has transferred millions of taxpayer funds to run thousands of illegal campaign ads,” the lawsuit alleges, saying the ads were intended to improve Republican candidates’ prospects. Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Devin Remiker criticized the advertising in a statement, saying residents should not have to watch taxpayer-funded ads promoting the president. Norm Eisen, a co-founder and board member of Democracy Defenders Action, said the alleged use of funds intended for border security and fallen officers was an affront to taxpayers and democracy. The case puts the administration’s spending on political messaging before the election under legal scrutiny. The lawsuit contends that using government resources to influence electoral contests gives the government an improper advantage in the political process.