The Democratic-led House Oversight Committee has asked the independent Office of Special Counsel to investigate the White House and the Trump Administration for multiple alleged violations of the Hatch Act, the Associated Press reports.
In a letter to OSC, the Committee noted the Trump Administration “repeatedly used their official positions and the White House itself to bolster President (Donald) Trump’s re-election campaign. We are alarmed that President Trump and some senior administration officials are actively undermining compliance with — and respect for — the law.”
The Trump campaign used the South Lawn of the White House as the scene for Trump’s acceptance speech during the republican National Convention. While the Hatch Act does not necessarily apply to the President and Vice President personally, it may lead to recommendations of termination against other White House staff, from political appointees to career staff.
“We are particularly concerned with the consequences of White House actions on career employees who may have felt pressured to help organize and put on these events, potentially subjecting them to legal jeopardy,″ the Democrats wrote Wednesday. “Career employees have faced severe consequences for behavior far less egregious than what the country witnessed last week.″