(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) The Biden administration’s leftist partisan tendencies have once again come under scrutiny as officials face scathing accusations of engaging in political activities, in violation of federal law.
A complaint lodged by watchdog group Protect the Public’s Trust (PPT) with the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) alleges that several Biden administration officials, including those at the White House and the Small Business Administration (SBA), have repeatedly breached the Hatch Act.
The act prohibits public workers from conducting political activities at the expense of American taxpayers.
PPT Director Michael Chamberlain minced no words when speaking to the Daily Caller, the outlet first to report on the complaint. “The intent of the Hatch Act is pretty straightforward: If you’re part of the current government, you can’t engage in political speech in the course of your official duties,” Chamberlain said.
Expanding on his remarks, Chamberlain emphasized, “And OSC’s directives against using campaign slogans are pretty clear. But, as Karine Jean-Pierre’s multiple violations show — and these incidents from the White House and SBA appear to provide more evidence of — it seems that these requirements escape some members of the Biden administration.”
The complaint originates from uncovered emails from White House Senior Communications Assistant Brianna Stonick to SBA employees.
In one email, titled “Talking Points: House Republican MAGA Economic Plan” and dated Jan. 18, 2023, Stonick seemingly directed the SBS on how to communicate, including a fact sheet. Notably, these documents have been redacted.
A similar email sent in March 2023 featured a heavily partisan headline: “Talking Points: President Biden’s Veto of Extreme MAGA Republican Bill.”
Associate SBA Administrator Mark Madrid was not to be outdone, forwarding an email in March 2023 to two colleagues that included a passage stating, “[W]hat’s at stake if MAGA Republicans in Congress get their way and repeal the Inflation Reduction Act and slash funding for manufacturing, research, and innovation.”
Chamberlain rebuked the potential use of taxpayer funds to endorse political messaging.
“The American public expects their tax dollars will not be used for politicking and that the officials who serve them in government won’t be using their positions to engage in partisan electioneering. Unfortunately, those seem to be hard lessons for too many executive branch inhabitants to learn,” he told the Daily Caller.
The new complaint adds another layer of controversy plaguing the Biden White House’s year-long violations of the Hatch Act.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, former HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge, former Press Secretary Jen Psaki (now an MSNBC host), and former White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain have violated the Hatch Act.
