The Campaign Legal Center, a non-partisan watchdog group, on Friday called for an investigation into White House senior adviser Steve Bannon’s reported use of a private spokesperson.
“Once again, it appears the White House is ignoring longstanding government ethics rules, this time by outsourcing White House press office functions to an unpaid private public relations consultant,” Larry Noble, CLC’s senior director and general counsel, said in a statement.
Bannon has been using an outside public relations professional who is not on the White House payroll to field his media requests as a Trump adviser, according to a report from the Center for Public Integrity (CPI).
Media inquires from CPI about Bannon were answered by Alexandra Preate, a spokesperson he’s worked with since his time at Breitbart News. Preate is not employed by the White House, but has responded to inquiries about Bannon’s work in the administration and worked with other White House officials to coordinate those responses, per CPI’s report.
In a letter to White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and Office of Government Ethics Acting Director David Apol, CLC asked those offices to look into whether Bannon has broken any laws or regulations by using an outside spokesperson.
CLC argued that Bannon’s use of a private spokesperson may violate the Antideficiency Act, which states that a government employee cannot accept “voluntary services” for the government. Bannon also may be violating a rule barring executive branch employees from accepting gifts “because of the employee’s official position,” according to CLC.
In order for Preate’s replies to media inquiries to be responsive and truthful it seems she would have to be made privy to information requiring at least a minimum of security clearance. Surprising that aspect wasn’t raised, at least insofar as this story relates.
Bannon’s got this straightened out.
The allegation that her services are voluntary is, in Bannon’s words, a “complete fabrication. We’re holding her family just to cross the t’s and dot the I’s, ethically. Who would voluntarily sit close to me for hours?. Seriously?.”
The spokesman’s family is said to be under the protection of the same
Elitecarefully selected unit that safeguards the extensive video Library of Vladimir Putin himself until the recently announced sale of the library to Time-Life booksTM can be completed.In the photo accompanying this article,Bannon, the schlubby Leninist, looks like he has just been told to bathe and shave before he comes into the office. This guy gives new meaning to the word unkempt. His seedy appearance is a perfect match for his bizarre philosophy of deconstructing all the things Obama accomplished. A true menace to society.
Bannon is every guy standing on the center berm of a major street artery begging quarters.
There may be a bit of irony involved here…
The original Antideficiency Act was intended to prevent Government agencies from running up debts beyond what was approved by Congress.
However, as I recall, it was updated in the early 1980s to add the ban on volunteers - I believe this change was spearheaded by Newt Gingrich.
The ban on volunteers was intended to stop private citizens from volunteering to monitor bird populations, pollution, etc. for the Government - because they were providing data to regulators that Newt & company found to be a bit ‘inconvenient’ (I.e. Spotted Owl)