Why Ben Carsons appearance in Phoenix was likely a violation of federal law

[riversedge]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by muriel_volestrangler (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: washpost



By Philip Bump August 23 at 10:33 AM
Play Video 0:41
Announcer introduces Ben Carson at Trump's rally in Phoenix
At a rally for President Trump at the Phoenix Convention Center on Aug. 22 in Phoenix, the announcer introduced to the stage, “The secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Dr. Ben Carson.” (The Washington Post)



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“The secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Dr. Ben Carson,” the voice intoned, prompting cheers from the audience.

And, as simply as that, a law was likely broken.

There are a lot of ways in which the federal government could be used to reward political friends and allies, of course, appointments being just one example. But the power of the government can also be leveraged to political advantage. Imagine a candidate who appeared at a campaign rally to be endorsed by the heads of each branch of the armed forces, for example. That would carry a lot of weight.

In 1939, Franklin Roosevelt signed the Hatch Act into law, a measure meant to preserve the impartiality of public servants. “The law’s purposes,” the Office of Special Counsel’s website explains, “are to ensure that federal programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion, to protect federal employees from political coercion in the workplace, and to ensure that federal employees are advanced based on merit and not based on political affiliation.​​​​”............................................................

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2017/08/23/why-ben-carsons-appearance-in-phoenix-was-likely-a-violation-of-federal-law/?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_carson-115p%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&tid=a_inl&utm_term=.cd7fd52045f1

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My guess is that nothing will happen.

Link to tweet

[greymattermom]

1. So who enforces laws like this?

What is the penalty?

[James48]

2. Office of Special Counsel investigates and determines the facts

but it is up to the executive agency to penalize.

A Hatch Act violation can range from a reprimand to firing the individual.

An intentional violation often leads to firing of a "normal" federal employee.

Here is more on the story - so far NO ONE has filed a compliant.

but ANYBODY can.

Follow the story here:

http://www.govexec.com/federal-news/fedblog/2017/08/did-ben-carson-violate-federal-law-trumps-campaign-rally/140454/?oref=river

[Cryptoad]

3. no sweat,,,, blanket pardon for all of them!

[PatSeg]

4. My guess is

you are probably right. Accountability seems to be a thing of the past with this administration.

[L. Coyote]

7. With a perjurer for AG, what chance lessor crimes by cabinet members will be enforced?

ZERO. Unless, of course, he was set up by Trump to Make the Cabinet Great Again.

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[truthisfreedom]

5. Repukes always pull this shit.

Soliciting donations and campaigning from office was business as usual for bush, et al.

[johnsonsnap]

6. This. Can't ever remember any high-level gov official at any of our events

We don't do that since it is a crime.

[steve2470]

8. Yep, nothing will happen, but if Hillary Clinton had done it.....

immediate charges, full Congressional hearings, the works

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. Locking - this is analysis, as the Washington Post itself classifies it.

Please repost in GD, or Editorials and Other Articles. Thanks.