13 senior Trump administration officials violated Hatch Act, report finds
Eleven of those senior Trump officials allegedly violated the Hatch Act by “campaigning on behalf of President Trump’s reelection” during 18 official interviews or media appearances, and two of them committed violations related to 2020 Republican National Convention, the report said. The agency, which is charged with investigating Hatch Act violations, also found that some Trump administration officials “intentionally ignored the law’s requirements and tacitly or expressly approved of senior administration officials violating the law.”
The agency said it began investigating the officials after many complaints were submitted during and after the convention.
“Secretary Pompeo’s approval of the change to State Department policy is a similar manipulation of government business to benefit a particular candidate,” the report also said.
CNN reached out to Pompeo, Miller and other former senior administration officials for comment on Tuesday.
A source close to Short called the violations “a publicity stunt,” adding: “Neither Marc nor OVP counsel had prior notice of these alleged OSC findings.”
Though Farah told CNN that “live television or press briefings, when you’re asked off the cuff questions, make it challenging,” she said Hatch Act violations are inexcusable.
“We all need to hold ourselves to the highest standards (of) political impartiality when working for the American taxpayer,” she said.
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