Contrary Conduct Revealed: White House Press Secretary Breaches Hatch Act!

The Office of Special Counsel (OSC) revealed in a recently released report that White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham had acted contrary to the Hatch Act, a 1939 law that seeks to prevent executive branch employees from engaging in partisan politics. The OSC is an independent federal agency that protects whistleblowers, enforces federal civil service laws, and serves as an independent prosecutor in cases involving executive branch employees who violate the Hatch Act. According to the report, during the time Grisham was employed at the White House, she made numerous statements that appeared to support President Donald Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign and statements that appeared to oppose the Democratic candidates challenging Trump. The report found that Grisham violated the Hatch Act by using her official government position to engage in politically partisan activities. In response to the OSC report, Grisham said that she was unaware of the Hatch Act and accidental violated it. The OSC report noted that the White House did not provide any guidance or training for Grisham and other senior staff on the consequences of violating the Hatch Act. This is not the first time a White House employee has been found in violation of the Hatch Act. Trump’s former adviser Kellyanne Conway was found to have violated the Hatch Act in 2017 and 2018. The OSC referred the matter to the president for disciplinary action, but Trump declined to take any action to discipline Conway. The OSC noted in their report that the White House should take more action to ensure compliance with the Hatch Act, including providing frequent education programs about the Hatch Act to all White House staff. The Hatch Act was created to ensure that federal employees are not using their positions to influence the election process. It’s important that all government employees keep this in mind and act accordingly to avoid any wrongdoing.