Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, has been found to have jean-pierre-suggests-special-counsel-got-hatch-act-ruling-wrong/” title=”Biden’s Press Secretary questions Special Counsel’s Hatch Act ruling.”>violated federal ethics laws by using the term “MAGA Republicans” during official press briefings. The Office of Special Counsel announced that Jean-Pierre engaged in partisan politics from the White House podium, which is a clear violation of ethics laws.
Reviewing the Finding
Jean-Pierre’s defense is that she was given permission to use the term by other White House officials and that the administration’s lawyers are “reviewing” the finding. She did not rule out using the term again in the future.
Violation of the Hatch Act
The Office of Special Counsel found that Jean-Pierre violated the Hatch Act, which prohibits the use of official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with or affecting the result of an election. The agency will not take action against Jean-Pierre for the violation.
Context of the Term
Jean-Pierre argued that the term “MAGA” is often used by Republican legislators to refer to their policies and values, rather than a partisan political context. However, the Office of Special Counsel found that Jean-Pierre made the statements while acting in her official capacity, which is a clear violation of ethics laws.
Repeat Offender
Jean-Pierre is not the first high-profile administration official to violate the Hatch Act since Biden took office. Others include former White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki, former White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain, and Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.
Investigation by Ethics Watchdog Group
The Office of Special Counsel investigated Jean-Pierre’s comments in response to a complaint filed by Protect the Public’s Trust, an ethics watchdog group.
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