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Watchdog group seeks Hatch Act probe into acting attorney general Matt Whitaker
NBC "News" ^ | November 21, 2018 | By Dartunorro Clark

Posted on 11/21/2018 10:21:47 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer

Watchdog group American Oversight filed three complaints against Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker on Wednesday, alleging that he may have violated the Hatch Act, which restricts political activities by federal employees.

The group, founded by a former Obama State Department attorney, claims that Whitaker's recently released financial disclosure forms reveal undisclosed conflicts of interest.

“The nation’s highest law enforcement officer should be above reproach, but Acting Attorney General Whitaker’s financial disclosures raise potential concerns of both dishonesty and covert partisan conflicts of interest,” said Austin Evers, the group's executive director.

The group filed their complaint alleging Hatch Act violations to the Office of Special Counsel, and filed the others to the Office of Government Ethics and the Department of Justice's ethics office, alleging a failure to disclose.

"Until we get answers about Whitaker’s conflicts of interest and honesty, the public will suffer from a crisis of confidence about the rule of law under this administration," Evers, American Oversight's executive director, said in a statement.

The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: deepstate; henryjohnkerner; henrykerner; kellyanneconway; mattwhitaker; obama; progressives; whitaker
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

His financial DISCLOSURE forms revealed UNDISCLOSED conflicts?


21 posted on 11/21/2018 11:18:29 AM PST by CharlesWayneCT
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
Democrats know all about the Hatch Act:

Widespread allegations that local Democratic Party politicians used employees of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the congressional elections of 1938 provided the immediate impetus for the passage of the Hatch Act. Criticism centered on swing states such as Kentucky, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. In Pennsylvania, Republicans and dissident Democrats publicized evidence that Democratic politicians were consulted on the appointment of WPA administrators and case workers and that they used WPA jobs to gain unfair political advantage. In 1938, a series of newspaper articles exposed WPA patronage, and political contributions in return for employment, prompting an investigation by the Senate Campaign Expenditures Committee, headed by Sen. Morris Sheppard, a Texas Democrat.

Despite that investigation's inconclusive findings, many in both parties determined to take action against the growing power of the WPA and its chief administrator, Harry Hopkins, an intimate of President Roosevelt. The Act was sponsored by Senator Carl Hatch, a Democrat from New Mexico. At the time, Roosevelt was struggling to purge the Democratic party of its more conservative members, who were increasingly aligned with the administration's Republican opponents. The president considered vetoing the legislation or allowing it to become law without his signature, but instead signed it on the last day he could do so. His signing message welcomed the legislation as if he had called for it, and emphasized the protection his administration would provide for political expression on the part of public employees.

Hatch Act

22 posted on 11/21/2018 11:29:56 AM PST by yesthatjallen
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To: NormsRevenge
Quite the team and board.. Left as ya can get.

Has the earmarks of Hussein's Organizing for America Communism.

23 posted on 11/21/2018 12:01:10 PM PST by Oldeconomybuyer (The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.)
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To: yesthatjallen

“Democratic Party politicians used employees of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the congressional elections of 1938”

Kind of like how they used federally funded ACORN employees as local Democrat foot soldiers in every election?


24 posted on 11/21/2018 12:57:10 PM PST by Boogieman
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Whitaker is driving the libs nuts. Good! Gives them something to do.

I’m sure President Trump had Whitaker vetted six ways from Sunday before offering him the Acting AG job.


25 posted on 11/21/2018 1:55:11 PM PST by upchuck (Once political violence becomes common, the toothpaste is difficult to put back in the tube. ~Lifson)
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