A federal agency says White House counselor Kellyanne Conway has repeatedly broken the law and should be removed from Donald Trump’s administration.
Conway has reportedly violated the Hatch Act on numerous occasions, according to a Thursday report from the US Office of Special Counsel sent to Trump recommending her removal.
The historic announcement is the first time the Special Counsel’s office has ever recommended a White House official be removed.
The Hatch Act prohibits employees of the executive branch of the federal government from engaging political activity, such as advocating for and against candidates, which Conway has been accused of in the past.
According to the report, Conway violated the law by criticizing Democratic presidential candidates while speaking in an official capacity on television and on social media, Politico reported.
The Hatch Act does not extend to the president, vice president, and a select few other high-level officials. A government official who is found to have violated the act can be fired, suspended, demoted, or fined up to $1,000.
Henry Kerner, who serves as special counsel wrote: ‘As a highly visible member of the administration, Ms. Conway’s violations, if left unpunished, would send a message to all federal employees that they need not abide by the Hatch Act’s restrictions.’
Pedophile who raped and killed girl, 14, as her mother watched begs not to be executedIt alleges Conway violated the act when talking about Democratic candidates: Senator Cory Booker, who she called ‘sexist,’ Elizabeth Warren, who she said was ‘lying’ about her Native American heritage, and Representative Beto O’Rourke, who she reprimanded for not ‘think(ing) the women running are good enough to be president.’
The report also condemns Conway for calling former Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign announcement video ‘very dark and spooky,’ as well as saying Senator Bernie Sanders’ ideas were ‘terrible for America.
‘Her actions thus erode the principal foundation of our democratic system—the rule of law.’
The White House has rejected the accusations, saying the the report is ‘deeply flawed and violate her constitutional right to free speech and due process.’
These new allegations follow a March 2018 report from the Office of the Special Counsel that found Conway violated the Hatch Act during two TV interviews where she advocated for and against candidates in the 2017 Alabama special election for US Senate.
Conway has previously said: ‘If you’re trying to silence me through the Hatch Act, it’s not going to work. Let me know when the jail sentence starts.’
