White House press secretary violated Hatch Act, government watchdog says
- June 12, 2023
Katherine Doyle, NBC News
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre violated a law intended to prevent federal employees from using their offices to influence elections when she repeatedly referred to “mega MAGA Republicans” in the run-up to the 2022 midterms, a government watchdog agency said.
In a letter first shared with NBC News, the Office of Special Counsel determined that Jean-Pierre’s choice of words in referring to Republican candidates violated the Hatch Act.
“Because Ms. Jean‐Pierre made the statements while acting in her official capacity, she violated the Hatch Act prohibition against using her official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with or affecting the result of an election,” Ana Galindo‐Marrone, who leads the agency’s Hatch Act Unit, wrote in a letter Wednesday.
Michael Chamberlain, a former Trump administration official who is head of Protect the Public’s Trust, said Jean-Pierre’s violation of the law without repercussion shows why Americans “increasingly distrust” the Biden administration’s ethics claims, after it vowed to uphold the highest standards.
“This episode illustrates exactly what people hate about Washington, DC and why they increasingly distrust the Biden Administration’s promises to be the most ethical in history,” Chamberlain said in a statement. “The Hatch Act was a law used to pillory previous administrations but officials now appear content to sweep it under the rug.”
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