In a Washington Post op-ed, Walter Shaub, who has frequently criticized Trump administration officials over ethical matters, writes that Conway inappropriately used her position to influence the Alabama Senate special election, which is just weeks away.
"That law prohibits executive branch employees from using their government positions to influence elections, which is precisely what presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway did last week," Shaub writes. "Whether [Office of Special Counsel chief Henry] Kerner will enforce the law is another matter."
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Shaub writes that Conway was not "innocently championing the president's agenda," as she says, but rather seeking to concretely influence the election in favor of Roy Moore, the embattled Republican candidate accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women after a Washington Post investigation.
"The question is not whether Conway was championing the agenda of the president — who, it’s worth noting, actively supports Moore — but whether she was advocating against Jones. Only in a world of alternative facts could Conway’s televised words amount to anything other than advocacy against Jones," Shaub says.
Ex-ethics chief says Conway broke law
Ive lost track of the Democrats violating the Hatch Act over the years ....
Walter Shaub, former ethics director, files complaint against Kellyanne Conway
Mr. Shaub said the comments violate the Hatch Act, which forbids federal employees from influencing the outcome of an election through their position. He says that since Mrs. Conway was identified by her title and featured in front of the White House, she was appearing in her official capacity while making political comments.
The White House pushed back on the claim.
“Ms. Conway did not advocate for or against the election of a candidate, and specifically declined to encourage Alabamans to vote a certain way. She was speaking about issues and her support for the President’s agenda. This election is for the people of Alabama to decide,” Raj Shah, White House principal deputy press secretary, said in a statement.