In a Thursday report sent to President Trump, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel has recommended Kellyanne Conway “be removed from federal service” after “numerous” violations of the Hatch Act. Conway repeatedly violated that U.S. law, the office said, by making public political comments “disparaging Democratic presidential candidates” while serving as senior adviser to Trump.
“Ms. Conway’s violations, if left unpunished, would send a message to all federal employees that they need not abide by the Hatch Act’s restrictions. Her actions thus erode the principal foundation of our democratic system—the rule of law.”
The White House responded to the report, calling the “deeply flawed” recommendation a violation of Conway’s “constitutional rights to free speech and due process.” Deputy Press Secretary Steven Groves said in a statement: “It's decisions seem to be influenced by media pressure and liberal organizations.”
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This is the second report to conclude Conway violated the Hatch Act, after a March 2018 OSC investigation into two separate TV interviews in which Trump’s ex-campaign manager advocated for and against candidates in the 2017 Alabama special election for U.S. Senate.
