FLASHBACK: Two Obama-Era Officials Violated Hatch Act But Weren't Removed from Office

PJ Media ^ | 06/14/2019 | Nicholas Ballasy

[SeekAndFind]

The U.S. Office of the Special Counsel has recommended the removal of White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway over violations of the Hatch Act.

The OSC wrote that her “violations, if left unpunished, would send a message to all federal employees that they need not abide by the Hatch Act’s restrictions. Her actions thus erode the principal foundation of our democratic system — the rule of law.”

This isn't the first time a White House or cabinet official violated the Hatch Act. It happened several times in the Obama administration but the OSC didn't recommend the removal of the official.

In 2012, the OSC said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius made “extemporaneous partisan remarks” in her official capacity in violation of the Hatch Act. Sebelius acknowledged her remarks were a "mistake" and she was not removed from her position due to the violation.

Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro, who is now a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, violated the Hatch Act in 2016 by praising then-Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in an interview at his HUD office, but President Obama did not remove him from his position.

“To his credit, Secretary Castro acknowledged the mistake that he made,” White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said. “He owned up to it, and he’s taken the necessary steps to prevent it from happening again. That’s the expectation that people have when you make a mistake, particularly in a situation like this.”

The OSC was also investigating Obama's former Labor Secretary Hilda Solis for violating the Hatch Act but the matter was closed when she resigned from her position in 2013.

According to the complaint, Solis "left a voicemail message on a subordinate employee's government-issued Blackberry in which you asked the employee to contribute toward and assist with organizing others to attend a fundraiser for the President's reelection campaign." The OSC indicated that it could re-open the probe into Solis if she were nominated for an executive branch position sometime in the future.

[CMailBag]

Sounds like the OSC is a holdover from Obama nightmare.

[BenLurkin]

Gore Called 38 Donors on White House Phone

By MARK GLADSTONE and ALAN C. MILLER
TIMES STAFF WRITERS

August 6, 1997 |WASHINGTON

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-aug-06-mn-19973-story.html

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Some watchdog found something? I know another watch dog that has found one hell of a lot more (Judicial Watch) and zero was done.

File this charge in File 13.

[DoughtyOne]

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[billyboy15]

Of all the idiotic attacks on this President this one amounts to the most nonsensical ad least important of them all.

No one gives a damn or even knows what the hell the problem is. The President’s chief advisor defends him against partisan attacks by idiots and this is supposed to be important?

Randomly choose 100 people off the street and I doubt 15 of them ever heard of Kelly Ann Conway.

It’s like all the house about Globull Warming. You would think everyone is paying attention to the coming armeggedon but when it’s polled along with other things folks think are important it polls at about 4%.

Iow, nobody really gives a sh*t

[Two Kids' Dad]

Ask those same 100 people if they know what the Hatch Act is.

[billyboy15]

Ask them what is the Hatch Act?

Probably between 0&1

[the_Watchman]

This attack on Conway probably needs to be deflected.

However, conservatives certainly need the Hatch Act in place and honored by government employees. We wouldn’t want a swamp run government bureaucracy turned into a phone bank during an election.

[vette6387]

Well, FWIW, I’ve written to President Trump asking that he “remove” Kellyanne, but for another reason. Her worthless, big mouth husband George Conway. For Kellyanne, it’s time to choose. Either tell her husband to STFU, or leave the Administration. I think she’s done an excellent job, but this business of George Conway “popping off” week after week about impeaching the President has to be stopped or she needs to go!

[Liz]

“The US Office of Special Counsel demanded Pres Trump remove Kellyanne Conway from her federal position immediately.
Conway is accused of violating the Hatch Act on numerous occasions:
<><> she disparaged Democratic presidential candidates
<><> she was speaking in her official capacity.

============================================

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has done this numerous times, in her official capacity as Speaker of The House.

On one visit to Mexico, Speaker Pelosi
<><>mixed US foreign policy,
<><> Democrat politics,
<><> demeaned American citizens, and,
<><> disparaged a presidential candidate (Trump).

======================================

ON MEXICAN SOIL, PELOSI SLAMS CANDIDATE TRUMP TO MEXICAN GOVT OFFICIALS

CIRCA 2016-Speaker Pelosi in Mexico telling Mexican officials Trump is speaking to an "insecure minority,"
who maybe lost their job and think it was because of immigration, or trade. I think it's putting too much weight on all this."
" (Candidate) Trump only has one half of one half, 25%," Speaker Pelosi emphasized to Mexican officials.

NOTE WELL: TRUMP GOT ELECTED BY 63 MILLION AMERICANS)

The 2016 Congressional delegation to Mexico also included Democrat Reps. Norma Torres, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Pete Aguilar and Linda Sanchez (Calif.); Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke and Henry Cuellar (Texas); Ruben Gallego (Ariz.); Michelle Lujan Grisham (N.M.); and Republicans Michael Fitzpatrick (Pa.) and Richard Hanna (N.Y.).

======================================

PELOSI PLEDGED HER UNDYING LOYALTY TO MEXICO--and demeaned American citizens and candidate Trump to Mexican officials

=================================

BACKSTORY In 2016 Speaker Pelosi brought a Congressional delegation to Mexico City to meet with Mexican dignitaries. Speaker Pelosi told the Mexican president and his entourage: “We come here as a large delegation to express our respect for the people of Mexico and the country of Mexico; to acknowledge our shared border and our shared values and to learn more about how we can work together for the bright future for not only our two countries but for our hemisphere.”

Pelosi later said the Congressional delegation had a busy time in Mexico City. “We heard a sermon on the importance of workers in Mexico, a view we share. We’ve met with members of the American Chamber of Commerce. We had a very beneficial meeting with Director General Zapata on the subject of the economy and on the subject of TPP (trade pact) especially.

"And then we had a glorious meeting, a really very thorough exchange of subjects and views – again about our shared values and our shared border – with the President [of Mexico]......with Members of the Federal Deputies – Mexican Federal Deputies – and Senators. And in the evening we had a dinner meeting with the Mexican Foreign Minister,” Pelosi said.

=================================

ACTION NOW:

Call President Trump: Comments: 202-456-1111 Switchboard: 202-456-1414 email at http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact @POTUS or @realDonaldTrump on Twitter!

US CONGRESS SWITCHBOARD: (202) 224-3121

U.S. Department of Justice
Comment Line: 202-353-1555
Switchboard: 202-514-2000

[AndyJackson]

The Hatch Act applies to employees of executive agencies. The office of the president is not generally regarded as an executive agency, but rather an extension of the person of the president, who is specifically excluded from the coverage of the Hatch Act.

[yldstrk]

Only two?

[Missouri gal]

Office of Special Counsel headed by Henry Kerner, who pressured IRS to target conservative political groups while employed by John McCain. WHY he is in the Trump admin is a great mystery, but probably his role as anti-American activist was probably not known at the time he was appointed. Maybe Trump was trying to make nice with McCain, a hopeless endeavor.

See Tom Fitton on this...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNKVkDlpI5I