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The U.S. Office of Special Counsel found that White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre violated the Hatch Act with her repeated blasts during press briefings at “MAGA Republicans,” but won’t pursue disciplinary action against her.
The office will instead issue Ms. Jean-Pierre a warning letter, said Ana Galindo‐Marrone, chief of the OSC’s Hatch Act Unit.
“Although we have concluded that Ms. Jean‐Pierre violated the Hatch Act, we have decided to close this matter without further action,” she said in a June 7 letter to Protect the Public’s Trust, which filed the complaint.
The office found that Ms. Jean-Pierre in her official capacity, made disparaging references to “MAGA Republicans” leading up to the November election, which 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.”
At the same time, she said, the White House Counsel’s Office “did not at the time believe that Ms. Jean-Pierre’s remarks were prohibited by the Hatch Act, and it is unclear whether OSC’s contrary analysis regarding the use of ‘MAGA Republicans’ was ever conveyed to Ms. Jean-Pierre.”
“We have advised Ms. Jean‐Pierre that should she again engage in prohibited political activity, OSC would consider it a knowing and willful violation of the law that could result in OSC pursuing disciplinary action,” said Ms.
