Ex-White House ethics chief: Sarah Sanders tweet violates ethics laws

The Hill ^ | 23 Jun 2018 | MORGAN GSTALTER

[mandaladon]

The former director of the Office of Government Ethics said on Saturday that White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders’s decision to tweet about being kicked out of a Virginia restaurant violated ethics laws.

Sanders was asked to leave the Red Hen restaurant in Lexington, Va., on Friday night, but confirmed the incident in a Saturday morning tweet.

The tweet also violated the endorsements ban, Shaub argued, since Sanders’s tweet was “an obvious corollary for discouraging patronage." Walter Shaub, the federal government's former top ethics watchdog, tweeted that Sanders's response, which was made from her official White House account, was a clear violation of federal law.

“Sarah, I know you don’t care even a tiny little bit about the ethics rules, but using your official account for this is a clear violation of 5 CFR 2635.702(a),” Shaub tweeted Saturday, referencing the law that states government employees cannot use public office for private gain.

“It’s the same as if an ATF agent pulled out his badge when a restaurant tried to throw him/her out,” he added. “Last night I was told by the owner of Red Hen in Lexington, VA to leave because I work for [President Trump] and I politely left,” Sanders tweeted. “Her actions say far more about her than about me. I always do my best to treat people, including those I disagree with, respectfully and will continue to do so.”

[ronnie raygun]

Rules for us and no rules for them. yeah that works

[SPRINK]

What did Walter have to say about Lois Lerner?

How about the entire fbi and cia?......

Yet we hear from him about this dubious claim.

Shut up Walter

[BigEdLB]

Walter... we need to find where your brain cells are misfiring, and you missed your surgery appointment