Watchdog requests investigation into alleged Hatch Act violations by White House and SBA

A government watchdog has requested an investigation on Thursday, into alleged Hatch Act violations committed by the White House and the Small Business Administration.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre previously violated the Hatch Act twice in the run-up to the 2022 midterm elections, and her violations prompted a warning in 2023 to refrain from using campaign slogans in official government communications or comments. For example, White House and federal government personnel are not allowed to use the phrases “MAGA” or “Finish the Job.”

The watchdog Protect the Public’s Trust (PPT) said that despite the warning, the SBA and the White House have continued to violate the Hatch Act, and are requesting the Office of Special Council to conduct another investigation into the alleged violations. The request comes after the watchdog reviewed emails from the SBA that were obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.

“This continual apparent disregard of the Hatch Act shows why it’s needed in the first place,” PPT Director Michael Chamberlain said in a statement shared with Just the News. “American citizens don’t pay their public servants to wage a permanent political campaign while disparaging their opponents. Karine Jean-Pierre has even shown that she thinks the Hatch Act is a joke. In this case, officials have an opportunity to do something to address the public’s plummeting trust in government, something they have yet to do in the face of previous violations. We hope they take it.”

The review by PPT discovered a White House email titled "Talking Points: House Republican MAGA Economic Plan." The email told recipients to “Please find talking points below on the President’s veto of the extreme MAGA Republican bill.  Feel free to deploy now to your respective universes.”

Another sample of an alleged violation was a White House email that contained a “cheat sheet” on the Biden administration’s economic record, that contrasted it to “MAGA Republicans in Congress who are creating chaos and proposing an extreme and divisive agenda.”

SBA officials also allegedly forwarded an email from the White House titled “Talking Points: President Biden’s Veto of Extreme MAGA Republican Bill,” according to the organization.