White House press secretary violates Hatch Act by using term ‘MAGA’

KARAH RUCKER: THIS WEEK — A WATCHDOG AGENCY TOLD THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY TO NO LONGER USE THE TERM “MAGA”  WHEN REFERRING TO REPUBLICANS OR GOP AGENDA-ITEMS. IT VIOLATES WHAT’S CALLED THE “HATCH ACT” – A LAW THAT LIMITS HOW OFFICIALS ENGAGE IN POLITICAL RHETORIC AND ELECTIONS.

BUT EVEN AFTER THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARIES WERE TOLD THEY WERE IN VIOLATION OF THE LAW – THEY CONTINUED TO USE MAGA ANYWAY. 

OFFICE OF SPECIAL COUNSEL ISSUES WARNING TO PRESS SECRETARY

THERE WERE NO REPERCUSSIONS FROM WHEN PRESS SECRETARY KARINE JEAN-PIERRE WAS FIRST FOUND TO HAVE VIOLATED THE ACT.  INSTEAD – THE OFFICE OF SPECIAL COUNSEL ISSUED JEAN-PIERRE A WARNING – AND CLOSED THE MATTER WITH NO DISCIPLINARY ACTION. 

WHITE HOUSE CONTINUED TO USE ‘MAGA’ IN PRESS RELEASE

A FEW DAYS LATER – THE PRESS SECRETARY DEFENDED THE USE OF MAGA —

SAYING REPUBLICANS USE THE TERM TOO. THEN THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SHOP CONTINUED TO USE THE TERM MAGA SEVERAL TIMES IN THEIR LATEST PRESS RELEASE  – DESPITE BEING WARNED BY THE AGENCY TO STOP USING THE SLOGAN.

MEDIA LANDSCAPE OF PRESS SECRETARY IN VIOLATION OF HATCH ACT

WHILE WE OFTEN POINT OUT WHEN THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA IS OMITTING STORIES TO FIT A POLITICAL AGENDA – A LOOK AT THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE OF THIS STORY SHOWS REPORTING ON THIS STORY IS RELATIVELY ABUNDANT AND PROPORTIONATE AS BOTH RIGHT LEANING AND LEFT LEANING OUTLETS ARE REPORTING ON JEAN-PIERRE’S REPORTED HATCH ACT VIOLATIONS

HATCH ACT VIEWED AS BEING UNENFORCEABLE

THE HATCH ACT IS LARGELY VIEWED AS BEING UNENFORCEABLE. IT’S WORTH MENTIONING THAT 13 TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS WERE ALSO FOUND TO BE IN VIOLATION OF THE ACT DURING TRUMP’S TIME IN THE OFFICE.

IT’S UNCLEAR IF THE OFFICE OF SPECIAL COUNSEL WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION AFTER LEARNING THE WHITE HOUSE IS CONTINUING TO USE TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN SLOGAN EVEN AFTER THE WARNING.