WAPO: Office of Special Counsel recommends removal of Kellyanne Conway for violating Hatch Act

[StarfishSaver]

The Office of Special Counsel has recommended the removal of White House counselor Kellyanne Conway from federal office for violating the Hatch Act, which bars federal employees from engaging in political activity in the course of their work.

The report submitted to President Trump found that Conway violated the Hatch Act on numerous occasions by “disparaging Democratic presidential candidates while speaking in her official capacity during television interviews and on social media.”

The counsel said Conway was a repeat offender and recommended that she be removed from federal office.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/office-of-special-counsel-recommends-removal-of-kellyanne-conway-from-federal-office-for-violating-the-hatch-act/2019/06/13/0786ae2e-8df4-11e9-8f69-a2795fca3343_story.html?utm_term=.e6c113886b0c

[Me.]

1. Removal?

Lock her up!

[StarfishSaver]

6. This is not a crime. Removal is the harshest penalty available.

[Me.]

14. Listen...I Can Dream Can't I?

[StarfishSaver]

15. Indeed

We can and must - otherwise, we will lose our minds in the madness.

[Sanity Claws]

2. I wonder if that is what she wants

She doesn't want to incur 45's wrath. Would she set things up so that she is removed and doesn't have to resign?

[Dennis Donovan]

3. Her husband, George is reading this as we speak...

[SWBTATTReg]

4. Another reason why these laws (Hatch Act) and their enforcement needs to be beefed up. ...

It's ridiculous that these numerous Hatch violations seem to be ignored by the police/authorities and nothing ever happens. Why then is this law still around? And by the way, she has violated the Hatch act at least a couple of times.

[StarfishSaver]

5. The Hatch Act isn't a criminal statute

so police and authorities have no role and aren't involved. Removal from the position is the harshest penalty.

[SWBTATTReg]

7. Thanks ... and who does enforce the Hatch Act? The Senate? I wouldn't be surprised...nt

[StarfishSaver]

9. No. The Office of Special Counsel investigates and recommends

But the enforcement is done by the employing agency.

[SWBTATTReg]

11. Ah...so if the agency is the dept of defense (just an example here), they would be the ones...

should they discover that a qualified employee violated the act, to refer possible enforcement actions to (and this is where I get lost) the Congressional Policing authority (or whom)? Thanks so much.

[StarfishSaver]

12. Congress isn't involved in this at all

The Hatch Act enforcement is purely in the executive branch.

Here's a good explanation of the penalties:

https://hatchact.uslegal.com/penalties/

[SWBTATTReg]

13. So in short, the president (or one of his cabinet secretaries) have to ask for her resignation...

or fire her?

[Tanuki]

8. Can Trump be removed on the same grounds?

[StarfishSaver]

10. The Hatch Act doesn't apply to the president

And Senate-confirmed appointees also have certain exemptions.