It looks like Karine Jean-Pierre's days of saying stupid and untrue things without consequence may be coming to an end. According to the Office of Special Counsel, Jean-Pierre's continual use of the term "mega MAGA Republicans" amounted to campaigning before the 2022 midterms.
NEW: White House @PressSec violated a law intended to prevent officials from using their office to influence elections when she repeatedly referred to “mega MAGA Republicans” in the run-up to the 2022 midterms, the Office of Special Counsel said https://t.co/6bYEI8LtFI
— Katherine Doyle (@katiadoyl) June 12, 2023
NBC News reports:
“Because Ms. Jean‐Pierre made the statements while acting in her official capacity, she violated the Hatch Act prohibition against using her official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with or affecting the result of an election,” Ana Galindo‐Marrone, who leads the agency's Hatch Act Unit, wrote in a June 7 letter.
During a White House press briefing on Nov. 2, Jean-Pierre referred to “mega MAGA Republican officials who don’t believe in the rule of law” and made other comments disparaging Republican candidates, according to a Hatch Act complaint filed in November 2022 against Jean-Pierre by conservative watchdog Protect the Public’s Trust.
The group called Jean-Pierre’s remarks “an inappropriate attempt to influence the vote.”
Unsurprisingly, the Office of Special Counsel isn't going to take any action. And we doubt the White House's strategy of using "ultra-MAGA" all the time had any influence on anyone. It looks like even they've figured it out.
How are they not getting in trouble for this like every single day?
— Just Kansas Things (@justksshit) June 12, 2023
Biden interrupted national television last week to go on a railing, nonsensical old-man-speech about MAGA Republicans.
It was obviously incendiary and just bad for the country, and hey, also illegal.
— Rebeccah Heinrichs (@RLHeinrichs) June 12, 2023
Pretend to be shocked.
— Alex Weeks (@AlexWeeks86) June 12, 2023
Another sternly worded letter with no consequences…
— Bobby Lynn (@BobbyLy73468553) June 12, 2023
This must be fake news. She tells us 20 times a day that she respects the Hatch Act and does not want to violate it
— cape4me (@cape4me) June 12, 2023
Who cares. She's clearly unfit for the job and has the intelligence of a toaster. The Hatch Act violation is the less shitty thing about her.
— Bring on the asteroid impact (@ItsAsteroidTime) June 12, 2023
Of course, nothing will happen to her, but it's nice to see that someone was paying attention to all the election interference coming from the White House briefing room.
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