At least 13 former Trump administration officials confused the campaign with government officials and violated the law, according to a new federal investigation.
Report from Special Advisory Office Officials announced on Tuesday banned government officials from using official roles to influence elections, including assisting candidates while acting in public positions. As part of “the complete disregard of the hatch law,” he states that he broke the law with no consequences.
“The cumulative effect of these repeated public violations was to undermine public confidence in the government’s nonpartisan activities,” they wrote, “such a grossly unpunishable violation is our democracy. It erodes the rule of law, which is the main foundation of the democratic system. “
We investigated the comments of officials, including the Republican National Convention, for the 2020 presidential election. White House With a big break from historical norms.
The Special Advisory Office concluded that the event itself at the White House did not violate the Hatch Act, but found many other cases conducted by Trump officials. Official capacity.
Among the cited officials are former White House Chief Adviser Mark Meadows, President’s Senior Advisor Jared Kushner, Former White House Press Secretary Cary McKenny, Kelly Ann Conway, and President’s Advisor. is included. Stephen Miller He was Trump’s senior policy adviser and former national security adviser Robert O’Brien. Conway was repeatedly quoted from the office, but at some point he went as far as demanding her dismissal.
“In each case, the officers in question were identified by job title, discussed management policies and priorities related to job titles, and / or spoken from the White House grounds,” the report said.
The investigation also found it-Secretary of State Michael Pompeo He changed the Department of State’s policy to allow himself to speak at the Trump convention and then referred to his official work in his speech. He discovered that Chad Wolf, then Secretary of Homeland Security, violated the Hatch Act by presiding over a naturalization ceremony organized for the programming of the convention.
“Both reflect the Trump administration’s willingness to operate the government’s business for partisan political purposes,” the report said. “Given the timing of many of these violations, the law The administration’s deliberate disregard for this was particularly harmful. “
The report states that the office repeatedly warned Trump White House officials about their breach, but never minded the former president, who was responsible for enforcing the law for senior officials, to do so.
Given the limited authority the office must enforce violations, the report is a law amendment that can fine the presidential appointed and appointed officers confirmed in the Senate, and greater investigative power. Suggested potential changes to the law, including. They also recommended amendments to clarify which areas of the White House should be off limits to political activity.
“The 2020 elections revealed that the Hatch Act was only valid if the White House decided, at least for the top executives of the administration. As it happened here, the White House was the Hatch Act. If you choose to ignore the requirements, Americans will remain unprotected against senior officials who violate the law and use public authority for the benefit of partisan politics. ” ..
The Responsibility and Ethics Citizens (CREW) of Washington, a non-profit oversight group, said the report emphasized the need for better enforcement.
“This report confirms that it is nothing more than a systematic adoption of federal authority. Donald Trump “Parliament must now act to prevent this from happening again,” said Noah Bookbinder, chairman of the group.
Probe found Trump officials repeatedly violating the hatch law.
