A day after President Donald Trump said his super PAC would pay for television ads promoting him, White House officials said the group does not plan to reimburse the government for the more than $10 million already spent on them, The New York Times reported. Taxpayer money had funded those ads. Trump announced the change Monday.
The White House press office gave the same position in a statement made available to multiple news organizations. It said Trump “was not referring to reimbursement” when he announced the shift.
Trump does not answer a direct question
Soon after the statement, a reporter asked Trump directly whether he would reimburse Americans for the money already spent. Trump spoke favorably about the ads but did not directly answer the question, according to an MS NOW column.
What the criticism looked like before the reversal
The announcement followed weeks of criticism over the use of public funds for the ads. MS NOW previously reported that the criticism came from both parties. The outlet also cited polls showing 86% opposition to the idea. The source does not name the pollster, so that figure should be checked against the original poll.
The two outlets give different totals for the spending. The Times reported more than $10 million. The MS NOW column puts the figure at nearly $11.5 million. The material reviewed for this article does not explain the gap.
Democrats call for a refund
Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, posted a statement online that called the spending “historic corruption.”
“This was historic corruption, and the president announcing he will illegally coordinate with a super PAC won’t cut it,” Murray said. “Trump must refund the American people for these taxpayer-funded ads.”
She also looked ahead to the next Congress. “You can bet a Senate Democratic majority will investigate and deliver accountability,” Murray said.
Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee used similar language. They described the president’s move as the “theft of public resources” and said the money must be paid back.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer made the same demand in a written statement. He said it is not enough “to simply have his super PAC slush fund foot the bill,” and he called that an “illegal action itself.”
“Trump must return this money to the American people and there must be a full investigation into this gross waste and abuse of taxpayer dollars,” Schumer said.
The legal characterizations in these statements come from Democratic officials. The material reviewed for this article does not include a court ruling or a government finding on whether the spending broke the law.
The argument against the White House position
An MS NOW column argues that the White House position cannot hold. In the column’s reading, the administration is saying it ignored legal restrictions and misappropriated taxpayer money, while promising not to misuse more of it in the future. The column calls the shift a step in the right direction and says the question of the money already spent remains.
The White House has not described its position that way. Its statement says only that Trump’s announcement did not cover reimbursement.
Where things stand
Trump said Monday that his super PAC would pay for the ads going forward. The White House said Tuesday that the group does not plan to repay what taxpayers already covered. Murray, House Judiciary Democrats and Schumer have each demanded repayment, and Schumer has also called for a full investigation.
