White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre violated the Hatch Act, according to a government watchdog.
The Office of Special Counsel said Karine Jean-Pierre violated the Hatch Act for repeatedly bashing “mega MAGA Republicans” before the 2022 midterm elections.
Despite Karine Jean-Pierre violating this law, zero action was taken against her!
NBC News reported:
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre violated a law intended to prevent federal employees from using their office 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 was in violation of 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 June 7 letter that served as a warning to Jean-Pierre.
During a White House press briefing on Nov. 2, Jean-Pierre referred to “mega MAGA Republican officials who don’t believe in the rule of law” and made other comments disparaging Republican candidates, according to a Hatch Act complaint filed in November 2022 against Jean-Pierre by conservative watchdog Protect the Public’s Trust.
The Hatch Act prevents certain federal employees from participating in political activity, including wearing clothing that could be considered an endorsement — but this is only enforced on Trump supporters.
Recall, President Trump’s Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke was forced to step down from his post for violating the Hatch Act because he tweeted a photo of Trump socks.
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke stepped down from his post in 2018 after Democrats buried him in legal fees and investigations.