(Washington Insider Magazine)-Hatch Act violation has just occurred by the current sitting White House Chief of Staff, Ron Klain. Mr. Klain apologized for a retweet of a message on his government Twitter account, violating The Hatch Act law.
The Hatch Act federal law was developed in 1930 for the protection of Federal employees and officials. It was designed to restrict political influence and involvement with federally funded programs due to the risk of affiliation coercion. Hatch Act law violation events are considered serious, as they have the potential to sway elections unfairly.
Ron Klein, White House Chief of Staff, retweeted from the STRIKE PAC democratic group account and directly violated federal law with a personal callout for support to the democratic party. Ron Klain’s added words at the end of the retweet, “Get your Democrats Deliver merch today!” violated The Hatch Act which prohibits federal government employees from using their political affiliation to influence elections. The original tweet from the democratic group on May 22, 2022, thanked President Biden for initiating the shipment of baby formula after a dire spring shortage.
This violation may not have been the first for Biden admin staff, causing massive stir on conservative Twitter channels.
Stephen Miller, the leader of the group American’s First Eagle and former Trump White House aide, reported the retweet violation to the Office of Special Counsel (OSC), an independent federal investigative and prosecutorial agency. The OSC handles complaints within the executive branch of the federal government. They handle misconduct of current and former federal employees, as well as federal employment applicants.
Ron Klain was quick to remove the retweet once he became aware of the complaint. Since Mr. Klain quickly removed the retweet, the Office of Special Counsel only issued a warning letter and no disciplinary action.
During the Trump Administration, several government officials were also accused of violating the Hatch Act, including Stephen Miller. Stephen Miller was specifically deemed in violation prior to the 2020 Trump presidential election. However, all those accused during the Trump era were also warned and suffered no consequences.
Reporters learned about the OSC warning by White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Thursday. She stated that Ron is typically careful with his internet activity, and usually keeps the Hatch Act restrictions top of mind in his interactions. Mistakes happen, and she confirmed that he was very sorry for the impact that his retweet had on public trust in the federal agency.
