The Hatch Act of 1939, officially An Act to Prevent Pernicious Political Activities, is a United States Federal Law whose main Provision Prohibits Employees in the Executive Branch of the Federal Government, except the President, Vice-President, and certain Designated High-Level Officials of that Branch, from Engaging in some Forms of Political Activity.
It went into Law on August 2nd, 1939. The Law was named for Senator Carl Hatch of New Mexico. It was most recently Amended in 2012.
President Obama Signed the Hatch Act Modernization Act of 2012 on December 28th, 2012. It modified Penalties under the Hatch Act to allow for Disciplinary Actions in addition to Removal for Federal Employees; Clarified the Applicability to the District of Columbia of Provisions that cover State and Local Governments; Limited the Prohibition on State and Local Employees running for Elective Office to Employees whose Salary is paid completely by Federal Loans or Grants.
White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley are among the more Prominent Members of the Trump Administration to receive Hatch Warnings.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed Complaints with the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) against White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Mick Mulvaney, and Deputy Press Secretaries Raj Shah and Hogan Gidley, along with Six others.
The other Trump Administration Officials named in the complaints are: Deputy Director of Communications Jessica Ditto, Executive Assistant to the President Madeleine Westerhout, Deputy Press Secretary Lindsay Walters, Director of Media Affairs Helen Aguirre Ferré, Press Secretary for Vice President Mike Pence Alyssa Farah, and OMB Deputy Communications Director Jacob Wood.
Stephanie Grisham, First Lady Melania Trump's Communications Director, has been Officially Warned against Tweeting her Support for President Trump's Campaign.
Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE), shared a Letter from the U.S. Office of Special Counsel on Social Media Thursday after he Filed a Complaint with the Federal Watchdog Agency regarding a Tweet of Grisham's from July.
"Two months after my inquiry, the @US_OSC has confirmed that yet another Trump White House staffer has violated the Hatch Act," He wrote, explaining how the Act Prevents Government Officials from using their Roles to Unfairly Influence Political Activities like Elections. "This administration's blatant and repeated disregard for the law is astounding and unacceptable."
Grisham, in a now-deleted Tweet from July 11th, used the Twitter Account through which she sends Messages related to her Job in the East Wing to Promote Trump's "Make America Great Again" hashtag.
"Three years ago today I listened to my gut & joined the Trump team in #PHX ... & life has never been the same. So proud to work for both @POTUS @realdonaldtrump & @FLOTUS 🇺🇸 #MAGA," she wrote, attaching a Photo from a 2015 Trump Rally.
The U.S. Office of Special Counsel told Carper in the Letter it had Found the Tweet had Violated the Hatch Act and, as such, the Agency had sent Grisham a Warning Letter. However, Erica Hamrick, the Watchdog's Hatch Act Unit Deputy Chief, said Grisham would not face Disciplinary Action.
"Ms. Grisham has been advised that if in the future she engages in prohibited political activity while employed in a position covered by the Hatch Act, we will consider such activity to be a willful and knowing violation of the law, which could result in further action," Hamrick wrote.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
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