Washington DC - The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is facing allegations of violating the Hatch Act by sharing an ad that appeared to push a strong political message.
According to The Hill, the FBI's Rapid Response X account shared a post on Wednesday featuring a more than two-minute video with the faces of several prominent Democrats, including former Vice President Kamala Harris, Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar, and former Rep. Cori Bush.
But the moment that has turned heads is when politician El-Sayed of Michigan is featured, along with text describing him as "Progressive Democrat, Senate Nominee."
"The DEFUND THE POLICE crowd wanted America to 'reimagine safety.' Translation: Let criminals run wild while cops take a backseat," the FBI wrote in the post.
"They sold slogans. We delivered handcuffs. CRIMINALS FEAR RESULTS, NOT HASHTAGS."
The video also featured various clips of FBI Director and MAGA loyalist Kash Patel as Michael Jackson’s "Smooth Criminal" plays in the background.
Shortly before noon on Thursday, the video appeared to have been removed after a ton of critics began accusing the agency of violating federal law with the ad.
What is the Hatch Act, and was it violated?
The Hatch Act is a federal law passed in 1939 that "limits certain political activities of federal employees" with the purpose of ensuring they perform their role in a nonpartisan manner.
It's worth noting that the FBI's ad comes as President Donald Trump and the Republican Party are battling Democrats for support ahead of the November midterm elections.
In a thread shared on X on Wednesday, Donald Sherman, the president and CEO of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), said the ads mention El-Sayed specifically and "clearly invokes the election."
"Although the video does not direct viewers to vote for or against a candidate, its message that the candidates' policies 'failed' and 'Americans were left exposed' is advocacy against their election that violates the Hatch Act," he wrote.
Sherman also revealed CREW has filed a Hatch Act investigation request with the Office of Special Counsel.
Director Patel, who was a prominent MAGA influencer before he was appointed to his role, has faced numerous accusations of violating the law, as he has shamelessly used his position to defend President Trump and help push his controversial agenda.
In a recent interview with Fox News, Patel acknowledged he couldn't tell viewers who to vote for, but advised them anyway to "vote for people who don't want socialism."