Office Of Special Counsel: Trump’s Social Media Director Violated Hatch Act

UNITED STATES - FEBRUARY 28: President Donald Trump leaves the Capitol's House Chamber after addressing a joint session of Congress, February 28, 2017. White House aide Dan Scavino, looks on.(Photo By Tom Williams/CQ... UNITED STATES - FEBRUARY 28: President Donald Trump leaves the Capitol's House Chamber after addressing a joint session of Congress, February 28, 2017. White House aide Dan Scavino, looks on.(Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call) (CQ Roll Call via AP Images) MORE LESS
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President Donald Trump’s official social media director was found to have violated the Hatch Act on Friday, for invoking his White House position while engaging in a political attack, the Office of Special Counsel wrote in a letter dated June 5.

In a tweet on April 1, White House Social Media Director Dan Scavino urged the constituents of Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI) to vote him out of office.

Three days later, the progressive watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed complaints against both Scavino and Amash. The former it accused of using his office — his Twitter account “showed him standing in the Oval Office next to the official presidential flag,” CREW said — for political ends.

The Office of Special Counsel agreed: Scavino, it said, “violated the Hatch Act.”

“Specifically, you alleged on April 1, 2017, Mr. Scavino, while invoking his official position at the White House posted a tweet calling for the defeat of Representative Justin Amash in a primary election,” chief of the Hatch Act Unit, Ana Galindo-Marrone, wrote to CREW.

Galindo-Marrone added that Scavino had been warned, and that her office would consider such activity in the future “willful and knowing violation of the law.”

Amash, CREW alleged in April, used an account he otherwise uses for official purposes to fundraise in response to Scavino:

The Office of Special Counsel did not mention any violations by Amash in its response to CREW. The organization’s executive director noted Friday, in a statement to the Daily Beast, that “OSC has made clear with this ruling that they are going to enforce these important rules and work to keep the government free from inappropriate politics.”

Read OSC’s letter to CREW:

H/t Ryan J. Reilly, Daily Beast

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Notable Replies

  1. Trump: No one can and will do anything. This passed TrumpCare and helps with money given to rich from those 24 Million who lose health care. We will do it again.

  2. If I understand the penalty section of The Hatch Act (5 U.S.C.S. § 1505), the only remedy is removal from office. Looks like the first of many departures for Trump’s staff.

  3. Avatar for docd docd says:

    They’re new to government, and don’t understand the protocols that every other administration in the history of the republic have respected. In a few years (i.e. 9) they will have it figured out. Until then, it’s a free pass.

  4. no consequences. other than a sternly worded letter. which matters for sh’t

  5. FIFY @docd :stuck_out_tongue:

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