Sacramento, California - California Governor Gavin Newsom accused Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem of violating the law and asked airports to ignore requests to play a video blaming the Democrats for the government shutdown.

"Federal resources aren't campaign tools," Newsom said in an angry post on X, citing a video in which Noem calls on airports to play a political video.

"[Secretary Noem's] new TSA video crosses the line, violating the Hatch Act with blatant political messaging," he said, before announcing that he's "urging California airports to stand firm against this unlawful federal pressure and refrain from airing the video."

The Hatch Act of 1939 guarantees that federal programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion and protects federal employees from "political coercion in the workplace."

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Last week, Noem released a video claiming that the Democrats were responsible for the government shutdown, despite the fact that the Republicans control the executive and both houses of Congress.

The video, which sees Noem claim that the "Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government," is set to be played by the TSA across many US airports.

All of California's airports and many more across the US have refused to air the video on the basis that they are not meant to be broadcasting political party messages.

Newsom shared a letter from California's Legal Affairs Secretary David Sapp, which extends support for the decision by California's Airports to not play the video despite pressure from the DHS.

"As numerous federal ethics experts have confirmed, this message blatantly violates the Hatch Act," Sapp wrote. "All California-based airports recently confirmed to our office that they are not airing the message."

"Our office strongly urges you to hold firm and avoid being complicit in facilitating a clear violation of federal law. If there is anything our office can do to support you in this matter, please do not hesitate to contact me."