'He got it wrong': White House chief of staff admonished after violating Hatch Act with partisan tweet

Michael Collins, USA TODAY
·2 min read
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WASHINGTON – White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain has been put on notice by the Office of Special Counsel that he violated federal law when he retweeted a partisan political message from his government Twitter account.

Klain’s tweet – which he later removed – violated the Hatch Act that bars government officials from using their position to engage in partisan political activity, according to a letter Wednesday from the Office of Special Counsel.

No disciplinary action will be taken against Klain, the letter said and the matter is considered closed.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who often cites the Hatch Act when declining to answer political questions from reporters, said Thursday that Klain “is very, very careful and takes the Hatch Act seriously.”

But, Jean-Pierre went on, “he got it wrong this time, and he retweeted something that was political.”

“He fixed it as soon as it was pointed out and takes the warning to be more careful seriously,” she said.

More: Attorney General Merrick Garland issues new prohibitions on political activities for DOJ appointees

White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain has been put on notice by the Office of Special Counsel that he violated federal law when he retweeted a partisan political message from his government Twitter account.
White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain has been put on notice by the Office of Special Counsel that he violated federal law when he retweeted a partisan political message from his government Twitter account.

The Special Counsel’s office said it confirmed that Klain used his government Twitter account to retweet a May 22, 2022, message from Strike PAC, a partisan political group that supports campaign finance reform and works to help elect Democrats.

The tweet read: “Operation Fly Formula delivers 70,000 pounds of infant formula for American mothers and their infants. Thank you @POTUS.” The tweet also read, “Get your Democrats Deliver merch today!” and included a link to Strike PAC’s online store and an image of the group’s “Democrats Deliver” T-shirt.

Klain’s tweet prompted a complaint from America First Legal Foundation, which requested an investigation. America First is led by Stephen Miller, a former aide to President Donald Trump.

Strike PAC’s tweet constituted a solicitation for political contributions because it encouraged others to buy the group’s merchandise, Ana Galindo-Marrone of the Office of Special Counsel wrote in a letter to America First. Because Klain retweeted the message, he also violated the Hatch Act's prohibition against use of government resources to solicit political contributions, Galindo-Marrone said.

Klain has been warned that he could face disciplinary action if, in the future, if he engages in activity prohibited by the Hatch Act, Ana Galindo-Marrone of the Office of Special Counsel wrote in a letter to America First.

More than a dozen high-level Trump administration officials, including Miller, improperly used their official government powers in violation of the Hatch Act to try to influence the 2020 election, the Special Counsel’s office concluded in report in November 2021. Miller and the other Trump officials violated the Hatch Act over the course of 18 different official interviews or media appearances, the report said.

Michael Collins covers the White House. Follow him on Twitter @mcollinsNEWS.

More: White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki accused of violating Hatch Act

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain warned over Hatch Act violation