Biden administration accused of treating Hatch Act law as ‘a suggestion’
Another complaint has been filed against members of the Biden administration for using their tax-paid time for political purposes, and one critic of the agenda charges that they are treating the Hatch Act law as “a suggestion.”
It is Michael Chamberlain, of the Protect the Public’s Trust organization, that unleashed on the Democrats regarding the latest situation.
“The Office of Special Counsel’s direction to all federal government agencies not to use the term ‘MAGA’ in official communications could not have been clearer. But in the Biden administration, the Hatch Act appeared to be only a suggestion, not a law,” Chamberlain told Just the News.
PPT, a government watchdog group, obtained copies of communications that were passed back and forth in the Biden administration, and then identified three Biden officials in the Department of Transportation, assistant administrator for Communications Matt Lehner, press secretary Kerry Arndt and assistant to the Secretary and Director of Public Affairs Dani Simons.”
The complaint has been delivered to the U.S. Office of Counsel and others.
The report explains PPT charges the various officials used “Extreme MAGA Republicans” and “Finish the Job,” a Biden campaign slogan, while communicating officially with Pete Buttigieg, the transportation chief for Biden, and others.
That, the complaint assesses, likely is a violation of the Hatch Act, which is intended to stop federal workers from doing political campaigns while being paid by taxpayers.
Some of the comments apparently originated at the White House, too, the report said.
“The White House seems to have ignored OSC’s mandate and advised the DOT (and perhaps many other agencies) to use that forbidden political language in a derogatory fashion in the run-up to the 2024 elections. Dutifully, DOT sent the standardized messaging to all of its political appointees. From both press secretaries to the chief of staff to numerous agency leaders and on down, contempt for the Hatch Act has permeated the federal government during the self-proclaimed most ethical administration in history,” Chamberlain told Just the News.
The Office of Special Counsel had said, when Trump assembled a bid for his second term in the White House, that using “campaign slogans” was not allowed on duty.
PPT said it obtained emails that showed various political appointees referring to Republicans as “Extreme MAGA Republicans in Congress,” and referencing Biden’s slogan.
The report said another email pushed “investing” in America and blasted “extreme MAGA Republicans in Congress.”
The OSC previously concluded White House press secretary Karine Jean Pierre was in violation of the Hatch Act for using “MAGA” to describe Republicans.
Further, WND reported when Kamala Harris came under the same suspicion when Rep. Cory Mills., R-Fla., filed a complaint about her.
He wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland seeking an investigation of Harris after she made “vicious” comments about Trump, including likening him to Adolf Hitler.
He wrote, “As you are likely aware, earlier today Vice President Kamala Harris gave what was billed as a ‘press conference’ at the White House. In the under three-minute speech VP Harris only made vicious political attacks on Republican Presidential Candidate and Former President, Donald J. Trump. After making multiple defamatory references to Hitler and claiming he would use the American military to go after American citizens, she concluded saying, ‘We know what Donald Trump wants. He wants unchecked power. The question, in thirteen days, will be what do the American people want?'”
The letter continued, “While the Hatch Act, which prohibits using official resources to support partisan political campaigns, does not apply to the president and vice president in civil provisions, it does not exempt them from criminal provisions. In federal law it is a crime for any federal officer or employee to ‘use his official authority for the purpose of interfering with, or affecting, the nomination or the election of any candidate for the office president, vice president, presidential elector, member of the Senate, member of the House of Representatives.'”
Among Harris’ wild claims was, “When Donald Trump was president, he said he wanted generals like Adolf Hitler had. Donald Trump said that because he does not want a military that is loyal to the United States Constitution, he wants a military that is loyal to him.”
She also claimed Trump, now the president-elect, “is increasing unhinged and unstable.”