Katherine Biek
A White House Employee Is Raising Ethics Concerns With 1 Tweet
Social media director Dan Scavino called for the "defeat" of a Republican congressman in the 2018 primary.
LEARN MOREPosted: 3:08 p.m. EST Nov 22, 2017
The former director of the Office of Government Ethics believes Kellyanne Conway likely violated a federal law.
During a Fox News interview earlier this week, Conway vehemently spoke out against Democratic Senate candidate Doug Jones.
"Doug Jones in Alabama, folks, don't be fooled. He will be a vote against tax cuts. He is weak on crime. Weak on borders. He is strong on raising your taxes. He is terrible for property owners," Conway said on "Fox & Friends" on Monday.
Walter Shaub, who resigned as head of the ethics office in July, tweeted Wednesday that he's "filed a complaint with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel" because he thinks Conway's interview violates the Hatch Act.
The act prevents federal employees from trying to sway political elections.
Richard W. Painter, who served as the chief ethics lawyer for President George W. Bush, agreed with Shaub, tweeting "This is an official interview. She has violated the Hatch Act by using her position to take sides in a partisan election."
Back in February, Conway came under fire for giving Ivanka Trump a "free commercial" during another Fox News interview.
Although the ethics office recommended disciplinary action be taken against Conway then, the White House ultimately decided not to do so, saying Conway "acted inadvertently" and "without nefarious motive or intent to benefit personally."
