The press secretary of the White House, Karine Jean-Pierre, has been subtly reprimanded for engaging in podium politics.

According to NBC News, the Office of Special Counsel ruled last week that Jean-Pierre’s attack on the “Make America Great Again” faction of the Republican Party, which is primarily associated with former President Donald Trump, violated the Hatch Act. The Hatch Act prohibits federal personnel from utilizing their positions for political purposes.

Jean-Pierre attacked this group prior to the midterm elections in 2022 (and has continued to do so with regularity).

“Unfortunately, we have seen mega MAGA Republican officials who don’t believe in the rule of law,” she stated on November 2 in the comment that prompted the complaint against her. “They refuse to accept the results of free and fair elections and they fan the flames of political violence through what they praise and what they refuse to condemn. It remains important for the president to state strongly and unequivocally that violence has no place in our democracy.”

The complaint was submitted by the watchdog group Protect the Public’s Trust on November 3.

Ana GalindoMarrone, head of the OSC’s Hatch Act Unit, wrote in a letter to the group’s director, Michael Chamberlain, on Wednesday, “Because Ms. Jean‐Pierre made the statements while acting in her official capacity, she violated the Hatch Act prohibition against using her official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with or affecting the result of an election.”

GalindoMarrone stated, despite the finding, “we have decided not to pursue disciplinary action and have instead issued Ms. Jean‐Pierre a warning letter.”

The letter stated that Jean-Pierre “used the phrase ‘MAGA Republicans’ repeatedly during official press briefings prior to the November 2022 midterm election.”

“Although Ms. Jean‐Pierre never expressly instructed viewers to vote for or against Republican candidates for elected office, OSC concluded that the timing, frequency, and content of Ms. Jean‐Pierre’s references to ‘MAGA Republicans’ established that she made those references to generate opposition to Republican candidates. Accordingly, making the references constituted political activity,” it said.

The letter said that “we have decided to close this matter without further action.” CONTINUE READING…