White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre violated the Hatch Act when she repeatedly referred to “mega MAGA Republicans” ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, a federal watchdog found.
The Office of Special Counsel found that Jean-Pierre’s use of words violated a law designed to prevent federal employees from using their office to influence elections.
“Because Ms. Jean-Pierre made the statements while acting in her official capacity, she violated the Hatch Act’s prohibition against using her official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with or influencing the outcome of an election,” Ana Galindo- Marrone, who heads the agency’s Hatch Act Unit, wrote in a June 7 letter first shared with NBC news.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre repeatedly cites the Hatch Act for refusing to answer political questions
Jean-Pierre repeatedly cites the Hatch Act in her briefings when she refuses to answer reporters’ questions about President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign and when asked about his campaign plans for the Democrats during the midterm elections.
It is up to President Joe Biden and the White House to decide on any disciplinary action.
The White House did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s question whether Jean-Pierre would take such action.
But White House spokesman Andrew Bates told NBC News that, “As made clear throughout the administration, we take the law seriously and are enforcing the Hatch Act. We are reviewing this advice.”
Despite the fact that Jean-Pierre broke the law, the Office of Special Counsel “decided to close this case without further action,” Galindo-Marrone said in her letter, noting that the White House Counsel’s Office “did not believe at the time that Mrs Jean-Pierre’s remarks were forbidden.’
‘[I]It is unclear whether OSC’s opposing analysis regarding the use of ‘MAGA Republicans’ was ever conveyed to Ms Jean-Pierre,” Galindo-Marrone added.
Last November, Jean-Pierre was hit with an ethics complaint over claims she violated the Hatch Act by telling voters from the stage in the briefing room not to vote for Trump-supporting candidates.
“Unfortunately, we’ve seen mega MAGA Republican officials who don’t believe in the rule of law,” she told reporters at her Nov. 2 briefing. “They refuse to accept the results of free and fair elections and fuel the fires of political violence by praising what they refuse and condemning.”
Her comments came less than a week before voters went to the polls for the November midterm elections.
Federal agency Watchdog found Karine Jean-Pierre in violation of the Hatch Act when she repeatedly referred to “mega MAGA Republicans” – above the voters who voted in Miami in November 2022 ahead of the 2022 midterm elections
The ethics watchdog group Protect The Public’s Trust filed a complaint against Jean-Pierre with the Office of the Special Counsel, the independent federal government that enforces the Hatch Act on government employees.
“While the president is not subject to the Hatch Act, Karine Jean-Pierre has been and should be held accountable,” Protect The Public’s Trust wrote in its complaint, requesting an investigation of the press secretary’s comments.
Jean-Pierre, the watchdog claims, was trying to “influence an election” with her remarks.
The White House press secretary regularly invokes the Hatch Act.
In December, she used it to avoid answering questions about whether Biden would repay campaign donations from disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried
“I’m under the Hatch Act, which I like to say over and over, because we believe in the rule of law here,” she said in response.
In April, she cited the Hatch Act when she declined to comment on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s announcement. that he is challenging President Biden for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination.
And in January, she cited the Hatch Act when she declined to answer whether Biden would serve a full second four-year term.
“So, let me just say this – I’m not going to comment on the 2024 – she’s a candidate,” said Jean-Pierre, adding that she wanted to be careful. “And we follow the Hatch Act, so I want to be very, very aware here.”