Bety DeVos appears on Fox News in her official role as secretary of the Department of Education. During her appearance, she criticizes Joe Biden and uploads the interview to Education’s YouTube channel.
“Today he’s turned his back on the kids that we’re talking about and he’s turned his face in favor of the teachers union and what they have to say and what they have to demand and it’s really shameful,” she told the interviewer. The Education Department also blasted out a link to the Fox News clip with the attack on Biden to an official email distribution list under the heading “From the Desk of The Secretary.”
Politico
The Hatch Act of 1939 bans federal employees from using their position or authority to promote a partisan political group or political campaign. The ethics law also bans use of government property for these purposes.
On September 21, the Office of the Special Counsel announces an investigation into the violation. It’s unlikely anything will be done, though.
DeVos would become one of the most high-profile Trump officials known to have been investigated for violating the Hatch Act. Depending on what OSC finds, she would be the second member of the Trump Cabinet to be found to have violated the law. At least 12 Trump senior officials have violated the Hatch Act, according to the OSC, the independent agency that probes possible violations. In most cases, the office decided that the violation was minor enough to merit only a warning letter. Only one case, that of former senior counselor Kellyanne Conway, was sent to President Donald Trump for action, and he didn’t act on it.
Politico
Sources
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/21/betsy-devos-hatch-act-investigation-419471
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENFPB9pjH_E&ab_channel=U.S.DepartmentofEducation
Photo: Public Domain
