Former Idaho legislator turned independent U.S. Senate candidate Todd Achilles has filed a complaint with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel about messages regarding the U.S. government shutdown that appear at the top of U.S. Forest Service websites.
On Friday, Achilles of Boise filed a complaint alleging that U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz violated the Hatch Act by displaying what Achilles called “overtly partisan messages” appearing on the Forest Service’s websites.
The messages, which were still visible on the Boise National Forest and Payette National Forest websites on Tuesday, state: “The Radical Left Democrats shut down the government. This government website will be updated periodically during the funding lapse for mission critical functions. President Trump has made it clear he wants to keep the government open and support those who feed, fuel, and clothe the American people.”
Complaint says messages on websites violate the federal Hatch Act
In his complaint, Achilles alleged that displaying partisan political messages on public digital infrastructure, such as Forest Service websites, is a violation of the Hatch Act. The act, which is a federal law passed in 1939, limits certain political activities of federal employees, as well as some state, D.C., and local government employees who work in connection with federally funded programs.
Achilles asked the U.S. Office of Special Counsel to investigate the matter and take appropriate enforcement action.
“The Forest Service is the largest manager in Idaho, overseeing roughly 40% of the state’s land,” Achilles wrote in the complaint. “Since 1905, the Forest Service has managed these public lands for the benefit of all Americans, regardless of political identity. Aggressively partisan political messages on federal agency websites constitute not only a violation of the Hatch Act but also a violation of the nonpartisan standards that all Idahoans demand of Forest Service employees.”
Achilles recently served as a Democrat in the Idaho House of Representatives before he announced July 1 he was stepping down to run for the U.S. Senate in 2026 as an independent for the seat held by incumbent U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho.
When asked last week by the Idaho Capital Sun about the impact of the government shutdown on U.S. Forest Service’s forests in Idaho, an unidentified U.S. Department of Agriculture spokesperson provided a nearly identical message to the message now displayed atop the Forest Service’s websites.
“The Democrat shutdown will cause real harm to American farmers, ranchers, and rural communities,” the spokesperson wrote in an Oct. 1 email to the Sun. “President Trump has made it clear through his support of H.R. 5371 that he wants to keep the government open and support those who feed, fuel, and clothe the American people.”
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