Mike Lawler used taxpayer funds to promote GOP tax law

New York Rep. Mike Lawler used taxpayer funds for partisan advertising, a potential violation of House ethics rules.

Every member of Congress receives an allowance for direct communications with constituents. Also known as franked ads, these communications can take the form of direct mail, digital ads, or TV and radio spots. House rules mandate that such communications be informative and do not advance a campaign agenda.

Lawler has run four franked ads on Facebook this year directly touting his role in passing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a law that made sweeping cuts to Medicaid to fund tax breaks for the ultrawealthy. “Mike Lawler quadrupled the SALT deduction cap to $40,000,” one ad says. Another claims he eliminated Social Security taxes for some seniors.

The ads link to a page on Lawler’s official website that celebrates the legislation and refers to it as the Working Families Tax Cuts Act. This is an unofficial name that many Republicans have begun using for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, seemingly to distract from the law’s unpopularity.

The House Joint Economic Committee estimates that more than 37,000 of Lawler’s constituents will lose health insurance because of the law.

This is not the first time Lawler has been accused of misusing funds. The Daily Mail reported that Lawler’s campaign spent $150,000 in 2025 on car services and hotel stays, including a room at a beachfront Ritz-Carlton in Florida. His campaign has spent more than $10,000 this year on similar luxuries.

While lawmakers are permitted to spend campaign funds on travel accommodations, the law is clear that such expenditures must be reasonable and necessary.

The congressman’s spending has led to his opponents nicknaming him “Limousine Lawler.”

Lawler is running for a third term this year and is widely regarded as one of the most vulnerable House Republicans facing reelection. His Democratic opponent will be chosen in a June 23 primary.