The White House wasted no time in issuing a fiery and defiant response to a federal government investigative agency’s finding that Kellyanne Conway should be fired for repeated violations of federal law, namely the Hatch Act.
In short: No.
The Office of Special Counsel (OSC, not to be confused with Robert Mueller’s now-shuttered Office) on Thursday sent a letter to the President stating that Advisor to the President Kellyanne Conway should be removed from government service to protect the rule of law.
Conway has repeatedly violated the Hatch Act and other federal ethics rules, yet has faced no punishment. Both the OSC and the Office of Government Ethics have, since 2017, called for Conway to be disciplined lest others feel they too can violate government rules and laws.
Recently, Conway even intentionally mocked the Hatch Act as she attacked former Vice President Joe Biden, a Democratic candidate for president.
“Blah, blah blah. If you’re trying to silence me through the Hatch Act, it’s not going to work,” Conway told a reporter, as Mother Jones noted. “Let me know when the jail sentence starts.”
In its statement Thursday afternoon the White House attacked the OSC, calling its ruling on Conway “deeply flawed,” “unprecedented,” and “influenced by media pressure and liberal organizations.”
The White House also claimed the OSC’s call for Conway’s termination had “a chilling effect on free speech for all federal employees,” and “violate” Conway’s “rights to free speech and due process.”
Legal and ethics experts disagree on the White House’s stance.