Rob Bonta
Role at the time: Attorney General of California
Statement summary
On October 5, 2026, California Attorney General Rob Bonta submitted a complaint to the Government Accountability Office and the Office of Special Counsel about the ads. In a statement he said the ads are illegal and called on federal watchdogs to investigate and prosecute what he called a staggering misuse of public funding. His office says the ads violate the federal ban on using taxpayer dollars for partisan publicity or propaganda and the Hatch Act.
“It's also illegal. I call on federal watchdogs to investigate and prosecute this staggering misuse of public funding and breach of public trust.”
The attorney general's press release, dated Monday, October 5, 2026. It says he submitted a complaint to the Government Accountability Office and the Office of Special Counsel after more of the ads aired during Sunday football, and that the ads have reportedly cost taxpayers at least $5.5 million.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Why we used this label
The conduct under scrutiny is federal payment for Trump-promoting ads. Bonta says the ads are illegal and calls the spending a misuse of public funding, which rejects public payment. The closest competing label is Challenged the characterization, because his statement also calls the ads propaganda; it does not fit because he objects to the use of public money itself.