Presidential Document2025-16935
Use of Appropriated Funds for Illegal Lobbying and Partisan Political Activity by Federal Grantees
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 3, 2025
Signed
August 28, 2025
Issuing agencies
Executive Office of the President
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 168 (Wednesday, September 3, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 168 (Wednesday, September 3, 2025)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 42691-42692]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-16935]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 168 / Wednesday, September 3, 2025 /
Presidential Documents
[[Page 42691]]
Memorandum of August 28, 2025
Use of Appropriated Funds for Illegal Lobbying
and Partisan Political Activity by Federal Grantees
Memorandum for the Attorney General
By the authority vested in me as President by the
Constitution and the laws of the United States of
America, I hereby direct:
Section 1. Investigations Into Use of Federal Grant
Funds. Federal funding reviews by my Administration
have revealed that taxpayer funds are being spent on
grants with highly political overtones.
In addition to being a wasteful, abusive, and
potentially fraudulent use of the American people's
money, the possible use of Federal grants as slush
funds for political and legislative advocacy raises
serious legal concerns. Federal law places strict
limitations on the use of Federal grant funds, and in
many instances prohibits grantees from lobbying with
appropriated funds or supporting political candidates
or parties with grant funds.
Therefore, consistent with my duty to take care that
the laws are faithfully executed, I hereby direct the
Attorney General, in consultation with the heads of
executive departments and agencies, to investigate
whether Federal grant funds are being used to illegally
support lobbying activities (See, 31 U.S.C. 1352) and
to take appropriate enforcement action. The Attorney
General shall report to the President within 180 days
of the date of this memorandum on the progress of the
investigation.
Sec. 2. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this
memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise
affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or
the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget
relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This memorandum shall be implemented consistent
with applicable law and subject to the availability of
appropriations.
(c) This memorandum is not intended to, and does
not, create any right or benefit, substantive or
procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any
party against the United States, its departments,
agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or
agents, or any other person.
[[Page 42692]]
(d) You are authorized and directed to publish this
memorandum in the Federal Register.
<GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT>
(Presidential Sig.)
THE WHITE HOUSE,
Washington, August 28, 2025
[FR Doc. 2025-16935
Filed 9-2-25; 11:15 am]
Billing code 4410-19-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on September 3, 2025.
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