CREW Files Hatch Act Complaint Against Sarah Huckabee Sanders

[riversedge]

Source: citizensforethics.org




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 12, 2018

CONTACT:
Aaron Rodriguez
202-408-5565 | [e-mail]

CREW Files Hatch Act Complaint Against Sarah Huckabee Sanders

Washington — White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders likely violated the Hatch Act by using her official government Twitter account to tweet a photo of herself with Kanye West, who was wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat, in the Oval Office, according to a complaint filed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) with the Office of Special Counsel (OSC). The Hatch Act forbids government employees from using official accounts to tweet out partisan campaign propaganda, including President Trump’s campaign slogan.

“This administration does not seem to care about what the law says when it comes to ethics issues like using official positions for politics,” CREW Executive Director Noah Bookbinder said. “How many investigations and findings of violations are needed until this administration takes action to stop the misuse of government resources for political activity?”

The Hatch Act prohibits any executive branch employee from “us[ing] his official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with or affecting the result of an election.” OSC guidance on applying the Hatch Act prohibitions to social media, including Twitter, specifically advises that an employee may not “use a Facebook or Twitter account in his official capacity to engage in political activity” and requires that any social media account created in a federal employee’s official capacity “remain politically neutral.” In March, OSC offered additional clarification explicitly prohibiting an employee from using the slogan “Make America Great Again,” hashtags such as #MAGA, or “any other materials from President Trump’s 2016 or 2020 campaigns.”

Today’s Hatch Act complaint is not the first to be filed against Sanders. In August, CREW filed Hatch Act complaints against ten White House staffers, including Sanders, for using their official government Twitter accounts for political activity. Other officials included Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney and several White House communications staffers. Several of the potential violations addressed in these complaints occurred within days of OSC’s guidance issued in March.

Following previous CREW complaints, multiple Trump Administration officials have been cited for Hatch Act violations including Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, Deputy Assistant to the President and Communications Director for the Office of the First Lady Stephanie Grisham, and White House Director of Social Media Dan Scavino. Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway also received ethics counseling following a CREW complaint over her violation of federal ethics regulations by using her official position to promote Ivanka Trump products.

Click here to read the complaint.------------------------------


Read more: https://www.citizensforethics.org/press-release/crew-files-hatch-act-complaint-against-sarah-huckabee-sanders/

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go get her CREW!

Norm Eisen
?Verified account @NormEisen
22m22 minutes ago

BREAKING: we @crewcrew just busted yet another Trump official for violating the Hatch Act, this time Sarah Sanders (again). There is an epidemic of Trump illegality, and we are fighting back on behalf of all Americans.

Link to tweet

**EDIT TO ADD HER TWEET:

Link to tweet

Alt. U.S. Press Sec.
? @AltUSPressSec
20h20 hours ago
Replying to @PressSec @realDonaldTrump

You’re taking advantage of a man with a mental illness. You should be ashamed.
298 replies 303 retweets 4,800 likes


Vote November 6, 2018
? @mcalister_kathy
17h17 hours ago

Replying to @PressSec @realDonaldTrump

Among the horrific events from today: 6 Americans have died because of a hurricane! The same storm that decimated an entire town! A 2 YR OLD CHILD had to defend herself in immigration court because your boss ripped her from her parents arms! This is your priority?? Tragic!
71 replies 74 retweets 546 likes

[cp]

1. Thank you, CREW (Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington)

[pnwmom]

2. Is there any penalty for these violations?

[SeattleVet]

9. If you are a part of this (mis)administration, apparently not.

They think that silly little things like Hatch Act violations, ethics violations, or campaign finance violations don't seem to be anything to worry about, as long as it furthers trumpism.

[scarytomcat]

3. she looks like she had a stroke

crooked smile and one eye slightly closed
this event must have really took her for a loop
also they were standing pretty close together
did she get a date out of this?

[BigmanPigman]

5. She always looks like that.

I am an illustrator and have drawn faces my whole life and hers is one of the most asymmetrical that I have ever seen.

[MyOwnPeace]

4. HA!!!!!

Using the words "RESPONSIBLE" and "ETHICS" in the same sentence, or brief, with THIS ADMINISTRATION is such a waste of breath or ink.
Gotta' love the activism that keeps striking back at this disaster - it must be done. But more important.......

GET OUT THE VOTE!!!!!

[pwb]

6. She didn't here him say mother fu..ker in our oval office.

Good christian that she is, she wanted a picture with that crack freak. Call it mental illness if you want but thats not what i see.

[riversedge]

7. Sarah hears only what she wants to hear and ignores or dismisses the rest.

[pwb]

8. Typical evangelical. Fake religion

Fake people.

[apkhgp]

10. They keep digging that hole

One violation after another, these people keep digging down. No ethics here to speak of. This is all on their schedule of Empire building.

[tymorial]

11. I cant stand either of them but I don't view this as a hatch violation

Her saying to vote for someone or to campaign for someone using her account would be different. Trump isnt up for reelection.... yet.

[RandiFan1290]

12. Have you missed the nazi style rallies?

He never ended the campaign.