In the Trump administration, powerful officials and secretaries are not just public servants who lead massive federal departments and agencies. They’re also content creators.

During her tenure as homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem was notorious for releasing self-promoting videos — her agency became known in some circles as the “Department of Homeland Publicity” — but she’s hardly alone. In May, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that he and his family were starring in a controversial reality series. Two months later, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., already facing accusations that he has thoroughly disengaged from his day job, launched a celebrity cooking show.

Last month, Kelly Loeffler, who leads the Small Business Administration, announced that her office was launching a reality show competition, along the lines of “Shark Tank,” in which several American small businesses would pitch to a panel of Trump-aligned celebrities in the hopes of winning an investment.

There’s also, of course, Donald Trump himself, whose White House recently spent millions of taxpayer dollars to air a series of television ads that glorify and celebrate the incumbent president.

At least so far, FBI Director Kash Patel isn’t starring in any kind of series, but the bureau he leads did release a new video this week that is raising eyebrows. The New Republic reported:

Kash Patel’s FBI slammed Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed in a wildly partisan, and likely illegal, propaganda video Tuesday.

In a two-minute video posted on social media, the supposedly nonpartisan agency decried “democratic socialist leaders” for calling to defund the police.

The video is hardly subtle in its praise for Patel, but just as notable are the many Democrats the FBI calls out by name — including the Democratic nominee in one of the nation’s most closely watched Senate races.

The bureau’s ad, which just happened to be released as the early voting window started to open in several states, condemned progressive policies on criminal justice as a “complete failure,” which is certainly in line with Republican Party talking points, but which isn’t exactly bolstered by evidence.

It’s illegal under federal law to use public resources for “propaganda purposes,” and the Government Accountability Office has said the prohibition applies to communications that are “purely partisan” and/or “designed to aid a political party or candidates.” Does the FBI’s latest video check those boxes? It’s a safe bet the Senate Judiciary Committee would explore the question if there’s a Democratic majority in the next Congress.

The post Kash Patel’s latest FBI video looks quite a bit like an election season ad appeared first on MS NOW.

Author: Source Author

From MS Now.