Brandon Williams uses taxpayer money for TV ads boosting image and chiding ‘radical left’

Washington – The TV ad from Rep. Brandon Williams that began appearing in Central New York last week could be mistaken for a campaign advertisement from the first-term Republican.

Williams uses the 30-second ad to tout that he brought home more than $20 million for local projects in Central New York.

“In Congress, I’m fighting to make a real difference in our community,” Williams says at the end of the ad.

In another, he boasts of his support for Israel and “holding the radical left accountable.”

Unless viewers look closely at the fine print at the end of the ads, they would miss the disclaimer: “Paid for by official funds authorized by the U.S. House of Representatives.”

The ads are part of a series of TV, digital and radio commercials that Williams has aired in Central New York at taxpayer expense, taking advantage of the power of incumbency to boost his image without spending money from his campaign account.

The frequency of those ads has ramped up dramatically in recent weeks on local broadcast television and streaming services.

Watch Williams TV ad paid for by taxpayers

The ads were approved by a bipartisan House committee and paid for as “franked” communications, a policy that allows members of Congress to use money from taxpayers to communicate with people they serve. The messages are not allowed to be political.

The practice dates to the nation’s founding when members of Congress were given the “franking privilege,” making it legal to send out mail with their signature in place of postage. In recent years, Congress expanded franking to include email, text messages, billboards, telephone town hall meetings, and television, radio, digital and newspaper ads.

Williams has taken advantage of the expanded policy more than most House members over his first term in office, records show, despite having more than $1 million remaining in his campaign account.

His office submitted 51 different messages to the House Commission on Congressional Mailing Standards for approval since taking office in 2023.

Those messages cost taxpayers almost $300,000 through the first quarter of 2024, according to expense reports filed by Williams’ office with the House Clerk’s Office.

The expenses included $153,445 for franking costs and $139,096 for printing and reproduction, the records show.

The $153,445 that Williams spent on franking is the 28th highest total among the 435 members of the House, according to data compiled by LegiStorm, a nonpartisan database provider that tracks members of Congress.

The total doesn’t include three TV ads charged to taxpayers in July and August, including the ad about Williams bringing federal money home to Central New York.

All told, Williams spent at least 7% of his office’s total expenses through March 31 on the mailers, ads and other unsolicited communications, the House records show.

The average House member during the same period spent $27,860 on taxpayer-funded communications.

The ads cover a broad range of topics, including surveys that ask about standing up to China and banning TikTok, and a Facebook ad during the NCAA basketball tournament that stated, “It’s March Madness. Is a federal agency driving you mad?”

The March Madness ad encouraged readers to sign up for Williams’ online newsletter and take a survey.

Craig Holman, a government ethics expert with watchdog group Public Citizen in Washington, D.C., said first-term House members like Williams tend to rely more heavily on their franking privilege because they’re not as well known as their more senior colleagues.

Holman is among critics of the franking privilege who say it has provided free advertising for politicians to boost their images dating back to when the law was passed in the late 1700s.

“It was originally self-serving and was always self-serving,” Holman said. “It provides those in power with extra resources to remain in power.”

Holman said the bipartisan House commission that reviews all taxpayer-funded ads and communications is nothing more than a rubber stamp that rarely challenges members for crossing the line with an overt political message.

“The Franking Commission is notorious for not enforcing the franking law,” Holman said. “They’re doing everything they can to help House members use taxpayer money for themselves.”

Holman viewed the first TV ad that Williams aired using taxpayer money in November 2023.

In the ad, Williams says, “Since coming to Washington, I’ve fought for our families, stood against the progressive fantasies holding back our nation, fought to secure our border and end sanctuary city policies.”

Holman said the House commission never should have approved the ad.

“When this congressman is referring to progressive fantasies, that is politicized,” he said. “It is a clear violation of the franking laws. It’s not an information ad for voters.”

In his most recent taxpayer-funded TV ad, Williams may also cross the line into political messaging.

Williams uses the 30-second ad to tout his House vote that authorized U.S. security aid for Israel and “fighting anti-Semitism at home and ensuring our shared values are protected.”

As Williams speaks those words, viewers can see a politicized message on the screen that says, “Fighting anti-Semitism at home & protecting our shared values while holding the radical left accountable.”

Taylor Weyeneth, speaking for Williams, defended the congressman’s spending on official communications and said the TV ads – like the other messages – were approved after “intensive review” by the bipartisan House commission.

“In the most cost-effective way to keep constituents informed of his office’s services, Rep. Williams has released a series of approved messages including how citizens can reach out to the office if they need assistance with federal agencies,” he said.

Some of the messages have been specifically sent to residents of the 22nd Congressional District to inform them how to receive help with veteran’s benefits, Social Security, passports and other issues involving the federal government, he said.

All told, Williams receives a budget of $1.9 million to cover the expenses of his office over his two-year term in office, including the cost of personnel assigned to help residents in Central New York’s 22nd Congressional District.

Each House member decides how to spend their taxpayer-funded budget.

The amount of money that Williams has spent on official communications is likely higher than the nearly $300,000 disclosed to date. The total does not include the TV ads his office bought in July and August.

Williams’ office declined to provide the cost of those ads. Those figures won’t be publicly disclosed until House offices report their spending for the third quarter through Sept. 30. Because the House has up to 60 days after each quarter to disclose its expenses, the report likely won’t be public until after the Nov. 5 election.

Over the years, some members of Congress like former Rep. Ray LaHood, a Republican from Illinois, have tried and failed to put new limits on the franking privilege.

“The whole franking system has gotten way, way out of control in the sense that people are using it now to self-promote themselves,” LaHood said in a 2007 interview with Roll Call. “I think the taxpayer funds are being misused here.”

Former U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., suggested one solution. He tried unsuccessfully to force members to include a note with each mailer or ad that disclosed the total cost to taxpayers.

Instead of reining in the system, the House made one change in 2020 that gave members more time to spend taxpayer money on ads and letters closer to an election.

The Franking Commission previously enforced a 90-day blackout period before an election on mass communications from House members. In 2020, the commission shortened the blackout period to 60 days.

Members of Congress aren’t the only government officials to take advantage of the advertising.

New York lawmakers including state Sen. John Mannion – Williams’ opponent in November – have routinely filled voter mailboxes with taxpayer-funded communications in election years.

Mannion, D-Geddes, sent out six taxpayer-funded mailers from his government office to residents of the 50th Senate District between March 13 and May 24 before his Democratic primary election on June 25.

Mannion’s office declined to disclose the cost of those mailers.

The last public report for such spending, covering a period from April through September 2023, shows Mannion’s office spent $113,796 on bulk mail in that period.

State lawmakers are not allowed to make political statements in the mailers. The mailers are typically used by Assembly and Senate members to promote their work in Albany and boost their image in the community.

In addition to the taxpayer-funded messages, Williams and Mannion are spending millions of dollars on TV and digital ads paid for by contributors to their campaigns.

Williams spent almost $1.4 million from his campaign and had more than $1.3 million cash on hand as of June 30, according to Federal Election Commission records.

Mannion spent more than $881,000 from his campaign account and had more than $340,000 cash on hand as of June 30, the FEC records show.

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