White House voice mail Hatch Act violation?
The paragraph is from the Hatch Act, please read the first line to see if you agree the voice mail violates it.
"Partisan political activities are those activities directed at the success or failure of a political party, candidate for partisan political office, or partisan political group. While most Federal employees are permitted to take an active part in partisan political management and partisan political campaigns, the Hatch Act does prohibit certain participation by all Federal employees. Federal employees may not seek public office in partisan elections, use their official title or authority when engaging in political activity, solicit or receive contributions for partisan political candidates or groups, and engage in political activity while on duty."
= new reply since forum marked as read
I confess that I am a little behind the times today.
Thanks.
IANAL. Not sure if that qualifies as a Hatch Act violation.
Fact Check Political News
Did the White House Change Outgoing Message on Comment Line to Blame Democrats?
https://www.snopes.com/white-house-comment-line-trump/#.WmP3lE9Rwf4.twitter
The unprecedented finger-pointing took place amid a government shutdown and looming government worker furloughs.
Lux Blue / Shutterstock.com
102K
CLAIM
The White House updated the voice message on the automated telephone comments line to blame Democrats for a government shutdown.
RATING
TRUE
ORIGIN
On 20 January 2018, amid the hue and cry of a federal government shutdown taking effect thanks to failure on Congress to reach a bipartisan deal on a short-term spending bill, the two sides passed blame back and forth over the Senate floor like a hot potato.
Fox News reported that the sticking point for Democrats was the March 2018 expiration of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which allows a measure of respite for young people who were born outside the United States and were brought to the country as children and who, in many cases, have spent years maneuvering a backlogged immigration system in order to be able to apply for citizenship:
The deadline arrived without a deal. The U.S. government shut down at midnight Friday after Congress failed to overcome a partisan divide over immigration and spending.
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..................The Republican-controlled White House went so far as to change the outgoing message on the White House telephone comment line (202-456-1111) to an unprecedented message blaming Democrats:
Thank you for calling the White House. Unfortunately, we cannot answer your call today, because Congressional Democrats are holding government funding, including funding for our troops and other national security priorities, hostage to an unrelated immigration debate. Due to this obstruction, the government is shut down. In the meantime, you can leave a comment for the president at www.whitehouse.gov/contact. We look forward to taking your calls as soon as the government reopens.
