We previously reported that the independent Office of Special Counsel found that White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has repeatedly violated the Hatch Act.
Jean-Pierre used the phrase “MAGA Republicans”, and its many variations, during press briefings. MAGA is a slogan for a political campaign. Its use is therefore considered “political” and prohibited by those who hold official government positions. The OSC chose to issue a simple warning.
You’d expect the White House to respond by implementing new policies that would prevent such crimes from happening again. Who am I kidding? You didn’t believe that and it’s not happening. The White House announced instead that it will continue to break the law in a blatant manner, without giving a damn about the consequences.
Scoop: The White House will continue to use the term “MAGA” a week after the WH Office of Special Counsel declared it a violation of the Hatch Act.
Deputy Press Sec Andrew Bates pens a new memo hitting R’s on “MAGA windfall” and “MAGA tax welfare”https://t.co/hF1l4r9ixF pic.twitter.com/s56Mb7oyol— Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) June 14, 2023
Hatch Act, to be clear, is stupid. This is one of those old laws that were passed at a time when government officials weren’t flaming hacks. Hatch Act challenges are likely to succeed under First Amendment laws.
It is noteworthy that the Biden Administration is not even trying to maintain an appearance. In a matter of days, Jean-Pierre’s press office goes back to saying “MAGA this” and “MAGA that.” It’s almost hard not to admire the hustle.
Why would they not? What are they afraid of? It’s not surprising that they would do so. The White House today is the most unaccountable of all time (a disclaimer i use due to historical records). If they didn’t keep breaking the law, I would wonder if there was something unsettling going on. It’s part of who they are. It’s a part of who they are.
Jean-Pierre claims, for those who are interested in her excuse, that Republicans use “MAGA” as a term to describe the official policy agenda, making it a technical description and not necessarily one of politics. That’s not true, of course. Fox News and some members of Congress may refer to a piece of legislation as “MAGA”, but that is not an official term for Republicans to use when it comes to legislation or policy. Jean-Pierre, in other words, is lying. This is not unusual.
Is a violation of the Hatch Act on the list of worst things that the Biden Administration has done at the end of it all? It’s unlikely, but this is yet another example of the lack of accountability. Elites know that the rules do not apply to them, and aren’t afraid to tell you so. In the past, Washington was a place where people would not do such things publicly. But these days there is a lack of shame.
