The Facts
The US Office of the Special Counsel (OSC) has determined that White House Press Secretary Karin Jean-Pierre violated the Hatch Act, a 1939 law barring federal employees from influencing elections or performing their jobs in a biased way.
The OCS cited Jean-Pierre’s use of the phrase "mega MAGA Republicans" ahead of last year's midterm elections, adding that she violated the "prohibition" of "using her official authority or influence" because she "made the statements while acting in her official capacity."
The Spin
Democratic narrative
Opposition interest groups and politicians regularly file Hatch Act complaints, so this is nothing new. It’s basically a workplace guideline, and violators are typically punished by verbal reprimands. To show how easy it is to violate, more than a dozen officials from the past three administrations have faced public OCS scolding, including 13 during Trump's term.
Republican narrative
Jean-Pierre is a historically bad press secretary who now has broken the law. Although she receives friendly mainstream media coverage as a Democrat, she routinely finds herself embarrassed on the world stage. Given her track record, the Biden administration would be better off canceling press conferences rather than risking further missteps.
