FBI posts, then deletes, a video calling Democrats the 'defund the police crowd'; watchdogs say it violated the Hatch Act
The FBI deleted a video that called several Democrats, including Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, the "defund the police crowd" and praised Kash Patel. CREW and the Democracy Defenders Fund say it violated the Hatch Act.
Case period:
Published by The Dispute Index editorial teamPublished Updated
Overview
On October 6, 2026, the FBI's Rapid Response account on X posted a two-minute video that labeled Kamala Harris, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Cori Bush and Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed as part of the "defund the police crowd" and credited Director Kash Patel with a rise in violent crime arrests. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed a Hatch Act complaint with the Office of Special Counsel that day, and the FBI later deleted the post. On October 15 the Democracy Defenders Fund asked three federal watchdogs to investigate the video and who approved it. The FBI did not respond to The Hill's request for comment.
Read the full background
The post contrasted the "DEFUND THE POLICE crowd" with "Director Patel's FBI" and listed 54,000 violent crime arrests, more than 31,000 gangs disrupted and more than 3,200 kilograms of fentanyl seized. According to the Democracy Defenders Fund, the video shows the five Democrats in altered clips in front of "Defund the Police" signs, each labeled with a party description and a role, with El-Sayed shown as "Progressive Democrat, Senate Nominee". Its narration says defunding the police removed safety and that "Kash Patel's FBI is taking safety back by force".
The Hatch Act bars executive branch employees from using their official authority to affect an election and defines political activity as activity directed at the success or failure of a party or candidate; FBI employees face further limits even when off duty. CREW says the video is advocacy against the named candidates even though it does not mention the election or tell viewers how to vote. Raw Story reported that CREW president Donald Sherman said the Office of Special Counsel had opened an investigation at the group's request. Delaney Marsco of the Campaign Legal Center told The Hill that the party labels and named candidates are what make the video a potential violation.
The Democracy Defenders Fund's letter also asks the Government Accountability Office whether the video violated appropriations limits on spending for "publicity or propaganda", and asks the Justice Department's inspector general to find out who authorized it and with what funds. El-Sayed's campaign did not respond to The Hill. He told Politico earlier that "defund the police" does not describe his approach to policing. The video followed a Fox News appearance in which Patel suggested viewers "may want to vote for people who back the blue".
People in this case
Kash PatelDirectly involved
Abdul El-SayedDirectly involved
Timeline
5 timeline entries on this page. Dates: October 6, 2026 to October 15, 2026
October 2026
FBI Rapid Response account posts the video
Incident
The FBI's Rapid Response account on X posts a two-minute video contrasting the "DEFUND THE POLICE crowd" with Director Kash Patel's FBI and naming five Democrats, including Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed.
[01]Federal Bureau of Investigation
The FBI Rapid Response account's post sharing the two-minute video, since deleted by the account. The saved copy shows the post's full text.
FBI Rapid Response (@FBI_Response) post of the "defund the police" video (deleted) · Federal Bureau of InvestigationPost text, saved copy of October 7, 2026[02]The Hill
The Hill's report on the video and the complaint, quoting the FBI post, CREW's filing and president Donald Sherman, Delaney Marsco of the Campaign Legal Center, and Abdul El-Sayed's earlier remarks to Politico.
FBI post featuring El-Sayed runs afoul of Hatch Act, experts say · The HillFull articleCREW asks the Office of Special Counsel to investigate
Reaction
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington files a complaint saying the video is political activity that violates the Hatch Act.
[03]Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
CREW's Bluesky post announcing that it had asked the Office of Special Counsel to investigate the FBI video.
CREW post: the FBI video is a clear violation of the Hatch Act · Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in WashingtonFull post[02]The Hill
The Hill's report on the video and the complaint, quoting the FBI post, CREW's filing and president Donald Sherman, Delaney Marsco of the Campaign Legal Center, and Abdul El-Sayed's earlier remarks to Politico.
FBI post featuring El-Sayed runs afoul of Hatch Act, experts say · The HillFull articleCREW's president says the Office of Special Counsel opened an investigation
Donald Sherman writes on X that the Office of Special Counsel has opened an investigation at CREW's request, Raw Story reports.
[04]Raw Story
Raw Story report on the FBI's removal of the video, CREW's reaction and Donald Sherman's statement that the Office of Special Counsel had opened an investigation.
Watchdog hits FBI for 'rampant lawbreaking' after it was caught scrubbing Kash Patel video · Raw StoryFull articleThe FBI deletes the post
CREW says the FBI has taken down the video, and The Hill reports that the bureau deleted the post sharing it without responding to a request for comment.
[05]Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
CREW's Bluesky post saying the FBI appeared to have removed the video it had complained about.
CREW post: the FBI took down the video · Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in WashingtonFull post[02]The Hill
The Hill's report on the video and the complaint, quoting the FBI post, CREW's filing and president Donald Sherman, Delaney Marsco of the Campaign Legal Center, and Abdul El-Sayed's earlier remarks to Politico.
FBI post featuring El-Sayed runs afoul of Hatch Act, experts say · The HillFull article[04]Raw Story
Raw Story report on the FBI's removal of the video, CREW's reaction and Donald Sherman's statement that the Office of Special Counsel had opened an investigation.
Watchdog hits FBI for 'rampant lawbreaking' after it was caught scrubbing Kash Patel video · Raw StoryFull articleDemocracy Defenders Fund asks three federal watchdogs to investigate
The group asks the Office of Special Counsel, the Justice Department's inspector general and the Government Accountability Office to investigate the video under the Hatch Act and appropriations law and to find out who authorized it.
[06]Democracy Defenders Fund
Ten-page letter to Special Counsel Charles Baldis, Justice Department Inspector General Don R. Berthiaume and Acting Comptroller General Orice W. Brown asking each office to investigate the video under the Hatch Act, appropriations limits on publicity and propaganda, and internal controls.
Democracy Defenders Fund letter requesting investigations of the FBI's October 6 video (October 15, 2026) · Democracy Defenders FundLetter, pages 1-5
Claims
Claims separate what was said from what is contested. Follow each source for the original wording and context.
What's disputed
Disputed claim
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
The FBI's video is prohibited political activity under the Hatch Act because it advocates against the election of the candidates it names.
What is disputed
The video does not mention the election or tell viewers how to vote. The FBI deleted the post and did not respond to The Hill's request for comment.
Sources (3)
- CREW post: the FBI video is a clear violation of the Hatch Act · Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in WashingtonFull post
- FBI post featuring El-Sayed runs afoul of Hatch Act, experts say · The HillFull article
- Democracy Defenders Fund letter requesting investigations of the FBI's October 6 video (October 15, 2026) · Democracy Defenders FundLetter, pages 1-5
Disputed claim
Democracy Defenders Fund
Producing and posting the video may have violated appropriations laws that bar the FBI from spending funds on publicity or propaganda.
What is disputed
The Democracy Defenders Fund asked the Government Accountability Office to investigate. Its letter cites provisions of the 2026 Commerce, Justice, Science appropriations act and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026.
Sources (1)
- Democracy Defenders Fund letter requesting investigations of the FBI's October 6 video (October 15, 2026) · Democracy Defenders FundLetter, pages 1-5
Response record
Responses
Choose one response filter, or select All responses to see the full record.
2 matching responses. Newest first.
Democracy Defenders FundWatchdog group, in a letter to three federal oversight officesDirectly involvedBefore this statement
The letter, addressed to the Special Counsel, the Justice Department's inspector general and the acting Comptroller General, calls the video an unprecedented use of FBI resources for partisan propaganda that appears to serve only to denigrate Democrats and glorify Patel, and says releasing it during early voting was a grave abuse of power.
"The FBI’s promotional video has no place in a democratic society. We therefore request that the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) open an investigation into this matter and request that you seek appropriate penalties, including up to removal and debarment from federal employment, for employees deemed to have violated the Hatch Act."
CondemnedResponding to: The FBI's video is prohibited political activity under the Hatch Act because it advocates against the election of the candidates it names.
Full statement and sources
The Democracy Defenders Fund says the FBI's video has no place in a democratic society and asks the Office of Special Counsel to investigate and seek penalties, up to removal from federal employment, for any employee found to have violated the Hatch Act.
After the statement
The letter separately asks the Government Accountability Office to examine whether the video broke appropriations limits on publicity or propaganda, and asks the inspector general to find out who authorized it, what budget paid for it and whether contractors made it.
Democracy Defenders Fund letter requesting investigations of the FBI's October 6 video (October 15, 2026) · Democracy Defenders FundLetter, pages 1-5Why this label?
The reference point is the FBI's October 6, 2026, video and post naming Democratic officials and candidates as the "DEFUND THE POLICE crowd" while praising Director Kash Patel. The group calls the video partisan propaganda with no place in a democratic society and asks for investigations and penalties.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in WashingtonGovernment ethics watchdog group, announcing its complaintDirectly involvedBefore this statement
CREW's post says the FBI video features several current candidates for office, including Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, and says their policies "failed" and "Americans were left exposed".
"This is a clear violation of the Hatch Act. We just asked the OSC to investigate."
CondemnedResponding to: The FBI's video is prohibited political activity under the Hatch Act because it advocates against the election of the candidates it names.
Full statement and sources
CREW says the FBI video, which highlights current candidates including Abdul El-Sayed and says their policies failed, is a clear Hatch Act violation, and that it has asked the Office of Special Counsel to investigate.
After the statement
In its filing to the Office of Special Counsel, quoted by The Hill, CREW says the video's identification of El-Sayed as a Senate nominee is a clear invocation of the upcoming election and that his inclusion appears to have no other purpose than to advocate for the success or failure of a political candidate.
CREW post: the FBI video is a clear violation of the Hatch Act · Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in WashingtonFull postFBI post featuring El-Sayed runs afoul of Hatch Act, experts say · The HillFull articleWhy this label?
The reference point is the FBI's October 6, 2026, video and post naming Democratic officials and candidates as the "defund the police crowd" while praising Director Kash Patel. CREW calls the video a clear violation of the law and files a complaint.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Sources
(6)
Original post
FBI Rapid Response (@FBI_Response) post of the "defund the police" video (deleted)
About this source
The FBI Rapid Response account's post sharing the two-minute video, since deleted by the account. The saved copy shows the post's full text.
- Author
- FBI Rapid Response (@FBI_Response)
- Published
- Accessed
Original text
Democracy Defenders Fund letter requesting investigations of the FBI's October 6 video (October 15, 2026)
Relevant passage: Letter, pages 1-5
About this source
Ten-page letter to Special Counsel Charles Baldis, Justice Department Inspector General Don R. Berthiaume and Acting Comptroller General Orice W. Brown asking each office to investigate the video under the Hatch Act, appropriations limits on publicity and propaganda, and internal controls.
- Author
- Democracy Defenders Fund
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Watchdog hits FBI for 'rampant lawbreaking' after it was caught scrubbing Kash Patel video
Relevant passage: Full article
About this source
Raw Story report on the FBI's removal of the video, CREW's reaction and Donald Sherman's statement that the Office of Special Counsel had opened an investigation.
- Author
- David Edwards
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
FBI post featuring El-Sayed runs afoul of Hatch Act, experts say
Relevant passage: Full article
About this source
The Hill's report on the video and the complaint, quoting the FBI post, CREW's filing and president Donald Sherman, Delaney Marsco of the Campaign Legal Center, and Abdul El-Sayed's earlier remarks to Politico.
- Author
- Rebecca Beitsch
- Published
- Accessed
Original post
CREW post: the FBI took down the video
Relevant passage: Full post
About this source
CREW's Bluesky post saying the FBI appeared to have removed the video it had complained about.
- Author
- Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (@citizensforethics.org)
- Published
- Accessed
Original post
CREW post: the FBI video is a clear violation of the Hatch Act
Relevant passage: Full post
About this source
CREW's Bluesky post announcing that it had asked the Office of Special Counsel to investigate the FBI video.
- Author
- Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (@citizensforethics.org)
- Published
- Accessed
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Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- FBI posts, then deletes, a video calling Democrats the 'defund the police crowd'; watchdogs say it violated the Hatch Act
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/cases/fbi-defund-the-police-video-hatch-act
The Dispute Index. "FBI posts, then deletes, a video calling Democrats the 'defund the police crowd'; watchdogs say it violated the Hatch Act". First published: 2026-10-21. Last updated: 2026-10-21. https://disputeindex.com/cases/fbi-defund-the-police-video-hatch-act