Kellyanne Conway Found to Have Violated Hatch Act

The U.S. Office of Special Counsel found that White House aide Kellyanne Conway violated the Hatch Act twice during TV appearances on Fox News and CNN, according to a statement released Tuesday. On Fox & Friends last November, Conway appeared in her “official capacity” and “discussed why voters should not support Democrat Doug Jones” during the Alabama special election for a Senate seat. Then, in a December appearance on CNN's New Day, Conway “discussed why voters should support Roy Moore” in the special election. The OSC concluded that Conway violated the Hatch Act, which bars officials from “using their political authority or influence to interfere or affect elections.” The president and vice president are exempt from the Hatch Act, but White House employees are not. The OSC referred to the president for “appropriate disciplinary action,” but made no further recommendations. The White House came to Conway's defense, saying that she “expressed the President's obvious position” to support Roy Moore, and her statements show her “desire to comply with the Hatch Act” in a statement. The OSC is unrelated to the investigations of Special Counsel Robert Mueller.