Former White House ethics attorney Richard Painter warned on Sunday that President Donald Trump's use of taxpayer money to pay for promotional advertisements may be outright "impeachable," describing the string of spots as government-sponsored "propaganda."

The ads have aired across multiple networks promoting Trump in the run-up to the midterm elections and carry disclaimers that read "Paid for by the U.S. Government." The November midterms will shape the composition of Congress, with all 435 House seats and roughly one-third of Senate seats on the ballot. They center on Trump's claims that he is fighting "communism" and "the deep state," with one spot declaring that he will "expel the warmongers from our government" — even as his war on Iran drags into its seventh month.

Under the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, the foundational federal statute governing campaign finance, public officials cannot use taxpayer dollars for campaigning purposes. Painter, who served as chief White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush, said in a social media post that the ads are in direct violation of the law.

"This could be an impeachable offense," Painter posted on Sunday. "@POTUS has no right to use taxpayer money for campaign ads. Congress has expressly prohibited government sponsored political propaganda, which is dangerous for democracy."

He was not the only one to question the legality of the campaign. According to Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) — a fellow Republican — using taxpayer money to fund ads promoting the president was "probably" illegal. "I don't think any public official, including President Trump … or John Kennedy, should spend public money … on private ads for themselves," he said.

The White House has attempted to dismiss the criticism by claiming the clips are not campaign ads because Trump is not on the ballot in November, though the president himself has previously instructed voters to "pretend" he is. According to The Hill, "The Trump administration also highlighted past examples of the federal government airing public service announcements, such as when the George W. Bush and Obama administrations aired spots explaining new Medicare legislation and open enrollment in the Affordable Care Act marketplace, respectively."

"When prior Administrations utilized the airwaves, it was called 'public education,'" the White House release reads. "When this Administration promotes pride in our country, many of those same voices call it 'propaganda.'"

Unlike those earlier announcements, however, Trump's new ads do not explain policy initiatives. Instead, they feature his typical rally-style rhetoric: "We will cast out the communists, Marxists, and fascists. We will throw off the sick political class that hates our country. We will rout the fake news media, and we will liberate America from these villains once and for all."

According to the Washington Post, over $300,000 was spent on the ads, and it remains unknown which government agency footed the bill.