BREAKING: Office of Special Counsel Says Kellyanne Conway Should Be Fired For Violating Federal Law
The Office of Special Counsel on Thursday recommended the firing of White House official Kellyanne Conway over repeated violations of the Hatch Act, a law that prohibits partisan political activity by federal employees.
The federal watchdog agency sent a report to President Donald Trump on Thursday urging the removal of Conway from public office.
“The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) today sent report to President Donald J. Trump finding that Counselor to the President Kellyanne 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,” a statement from the OSC reads.
“Today’s report follows a March 2018 OSC report finding that Ms. Conway violated the Hatch Act during two separate television interviews in which she advocated for and against candidates in the 2017 Alabama special election for U.S. Senate,” the statement continues. “Moreover, during a media interview on May 29, 2019, Ms. Conway downplayed the significance of the law as applied to her. When asked about the Hatch Act, she stated, ‘If you’re trying to silence me through the Hatch Act, it’s not going to work,’ and ‘Let me know when the jail sentence starts.'”
The OSC then recommended that Trump fire Conway:
“Like with other presidential appointees, the President has the authority to discipline Ms. Conway for violating the Hatch Act. Given that Ms. Conway is a repeat offender and has shown disregard for the law, OSC recommends that she be removed from federal service.”
According to Politico, the OSC has never before made such a recommendation for a White House official.
Last month, reporters questioned Conway on the White House lawn about the OSC’s findings that she repeatedly violated the Hatch Act. In response, the White House official quipped, “Let me know when the jail sentence starts.”
See a screenshot of a statement from the OSC below, via ABC News reporter Alex Mallin:
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This story is breaking and will be updated.
