The White House Press Secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, has violated a federal statute designed to prevent government employees from abusing their positions.
As reported by NBC News, she “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.”
According to a letter initially disclosed by NBC News, the Office of Special Counsel has determined that Jean-Pierre’s use of language in reference to Republican candidates violated the Hatch Act.
Ana GalindoMarrone, head of the agency’s Hatch Act Unit, stated in a letter that Ms. JeanPierre violated the Hatch Act prohibition against using official authority or influence to interfere with or affect the outcome of an election because she made the statements while acting in her official capacity.
During a White House briefing on November 2, Jean-Pierre reportedly made remarks referring to “mega MAGA Republican officials who don’t believe in the rule of law” and expressed other disparaging comments about Republican candidates. The allegations were outlined in a Hatch Act complaint lodged against Jean-Pierre by the conservative watchdog group Protect the Public’s Trust in November.
The organization characterized Jean-Pierre’s comments as “an inappropriate attempt to influence the vote.”
According to NBC News, nothing will happen to the press secretary.
Despite having found Jean-Pierre in violation of the law, the Office of Special Counsel “decided to close this matter without further action,” Galindo‐Marrone wrote in last week’s letter to Protect the Public’s Trust, noting that the White House counsel’s office “did not at the time believe that Ms. Jean‐Pierre’s remarks were prohibited.”
“We have decided not to pursue disciplinary action and have instead issued Ms. Jean‐Pierre a warning letter,” Galindo‐Marrone noted.
“[I]t is unclear whether OSC’s contrary analysis regarding the use of ‘MAGA Republicans’ was ever conveyed to Ms. Jean‐Pierre,” she noted further.
In a follow-up statement, White House spokesman Andrew Bates said, “As has been made clear throughout the administration, we take the law seriously and uphold the Hatch Act. We are examining this viewpoint.”
In the weeks preceding the midterm elections of 2022, Jean-Pierre frequently cited the Hatch Act as a justification for refusing to answer specific questions from reporters or for providing limited responses.
Michael Chamberlain, the head of Protect the Public’s Trust and a former official in the Trump administration, stated that Jean-Pierre’s violation of the law without facing any consequences exemplifies why Americans “increasingly distrust” the Biden administration’s ethical assertions, especially in light of its pledge 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 told NBC News 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.”
More on this story via Conservative Brief:
The Trump administration officials faced criticism for repeatedly violating the law, as highlighted in a November 2021 report from the Office of Special Counsel. The report described their conduct as “especially pernicious” due to remarks made leading up to the 2020 election. CONTINUE READING…
