The social media director for the White House reportedly violated the Hatch Act when he posted a tweet urging a congressman’s defeat.
Dan Scavino Jr., social media director for the White House, reportedly violated the Hatch Act when he posted a tweet attacking a congressman, notes the Washington Post .
According to the media outlet, the Hatch Act “restricts government employees from attempting to influence an election through their official authority.”
The decision was announced in a June 5 letter from the U. S. Office of Special Counsel, or OSC, to the group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, which requested the review.
The letter references a tweet Scavino posted on April 1,2017, which states, in part, ” [Justin Amash] is a big liability. #TrumpTrain, defeat him in primary.”
Amash, a Republican representative from Michigan and member of the House Freedom Caucus, reportedly incited Scavino’s criticism by speaking out against Trump’s effort to overhaul Obamacare, notes CBS News .
After a review, the agency found that Scavino had, in fact, violated the Hatch Act; as a Washington Post report points out, “Even though Scavino was tweeting from his personal account, his page at the time listed his official White House position and featured a photo of him inside the Oval Office.”
The OSC letter says Scavino has been issued a warning, counseled about the law, and advised against engaging in such behavior in the future.
