Since the government shutdown began early Wednesday, out-of-office emails have emerged at several federal agencies blaming Democrats for the situation.

Why it matters: The Trump administration's encouragement for furloughed workers to use an automessage template may violate the Anti-Lobbying Act, which says "the use of appropriated funds for certain lobbying activities designed to support or defeat legislation pending before Congress" is prohibited, per Public Citizen, a national consumer advocacy group. • The group has filed several complaints with the Office of Special Counsel over posts that have appeared on several federal agency websites blaming Democrats for the shutdown —which Public Citizen alleges violate the Hatch Act, which governs how federal employees can weigh in on politi

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