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Energy Secretary Granholm violated Hatch Act by encouraging votes for Democrats during interview. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, an independent federal agency
https://justthenews.com ^ | Updated: June 29, 2022 - 8:50am | By Sophie Mann

Posted on 07/29/2022 9:29:49 AM PDT by Red Badger

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm violated the Hatch Act during a 2021 Instagram Live interview with "Marie Claire" magazine, according to a report by the U.S. Office of Special Counsel.

The federal law bars some federal government employees from using their official authority or influence to impact the results of an election.

During the interview in October 2021, Granholm was asked: "How do we get involved in this moment to make sure we pass these things?"

The interviewer was discussing policies that she said were "of particular interest to women, and for which women had 'marched' in the past, and how Congress is trying to pass legislation to enact some of those policies," according to the report.

Granholm responded:

"The good news is that ... marching and that voting gave Democrats a bare majority, but a majority, in the House in the Senate. And again, I am using Democrats as a substitute for the policies that you believe in, the policies that you would like to see happen. And what I say to people all the time is the most important thing you can do is make your voice heard. Vote! Put people in who agree with you.

"The arguments in D.C. right now wouldn’t be as tough as they are if we had just a couple more, just a couple more senators that agreed with us or just a couple more members of the House. So continue to be out there, continue to elect people. ... And the only way you get policy you want is by putting people in office. By hiring the right people. They work for you. You can hire them; you can fire them. Let’s hire a few more."

According to the office, employees covered by the Hatch Act are prohibited from using their official title or position while participating in political activity, which is defined as "activity directed at the success or failure of a political party, partisan political group, or candidate for partisan political office."

"Thus, federal employees in their official capacity are prohibited from, among other things, promoting the election or defeat of political parties or candidates for partisan political office," reads the June 9 letter on the matter from the office, an independent federal agency.

"She told listeners that they needed to vote for Democrats so that more Democrats would be elected to pass the legislation they wanted," the letter also states.

However, the office concluded that Granholm did not knowingly violate the act, becasuse she "had not received significant training about [its] use of official authority prohibition." As a result, she was received a warning letter.

Since the interview, Granholm has received appropriate training and the office has advised her that any future violations will be considered "willful and knowing violation of the law, which could result in further action."


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS:

1 posted on 07/29/2022 9:29:49 AM PDT by Red Badger
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To: Red Badger

Crickets at 120 decibles. 😠


2 posted on 07/29/2022 9:32:02 AM PDT by rktman (Destroy America from within? Check! WTH? Enlisted USN 1967 to end up with this? 😕)
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To: Red Badger

Is this covered by the death penalty?


3 posted on 07/29/2022 9:33:34 AM PDT by Beagle8U ("Per DNC instructions...Joy Reid is busy packing marbles up her @$$.")
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To: Red Badger

Lock her ass up. Additional charges should be filed for impersonating someone with an IQ.


4 posted on 07/29/2022 9:40:56 AM PDT by ConservativeInPA (Scratch a leftist and you'll find a fascist )
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To: rktman

First in 200 years


5 posted on 07/29/2022 9:43:12 AM PDT by Don Corleone (leave the gun, take the canolis)
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To: ConservativeInPA

“U.S. Office of Special Counsel, an independent federal agency”

Yeah right.


6 posted on 07/29/2022 9:43:41 AM PDT by es345st
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To: Red Badger

The Biden administration will be noted as the most diverse, most inclusive and most corrupt administration in US history.


7 posted on 07/29/2022 9:48:33 AM PDT by antidemoncrat
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To: antidemoncrat

It already is.........................


8 posted on 07/29/2022 9:48:57 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
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To: es345st

.
Nothing will happen.

Crystal clear


9 posted on 07/29/2022 9:50:32 AM PDT by AnthonySoprano (Lindsey Graham: How can anyone be Mad at Joe Biden)
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To: Red Badger

DOJ will charge her in ......................………..… Still waiting........


10 posted on 07/29/2022 9:51:39 AM PDT by Lockbox (politicians, they all seemed like game show hosts to me.... Sting)
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To: Lockbox

The next century......................


11 posted on 07/29/2022 9:52:20 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
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To: Red Badger

Granholm will be promoted to Recession Czar because she did such a great job destroying Michigan during the last recession


12 posted on 07/29/2022 10:06:33 AM PDT by cyclotic (Follow 1776Restorationmovement.com fighting for our Constitution. @1776RM on Truth)
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To: Red Badger

That soon? Hope she retains legal counsel soon 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣


13 posted on 07/29/2022 10:11:46 AM PDT by Lockbox (politicians, they all seemed like game show hosts to me.... Sting)
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To: Red Badger

Wow...so Democrats can just ignore the laws now and get away with it even when found guilty. That’s our corrupt government now.


14 posted on 07/29/2022 10:14:00 AM PDT by JoJo354 (Pray for our nation! It needs it!)
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To: Red Badger

Princess Jenny Granola is just one of your average “Karens”. She hasn’t a clue how the system is supposed to work.


15 posted on 07/29/2022 10:18:13 AM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (The House is supposed to represent the people, not the friggin' Federal government. )
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To: Red Badger

This is nonsense!
Nothing illegal was done.

Lets look at what the Hatch act actually says:
5-USC-7323 is the “Hatch Act”.
Here’s a link: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/5/7323

It states that its provisions regarding political activity by federal employees do NOT apply to “one appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate”

So what the Secretary was doing was perfectly legal.

Hope that helps.


16 posted on 07/29/2022 10:23:16 AM PDT by OVERTIME (Tammie Lee Haynes)
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To: OVERTIME
It states that its provisions regarding political activity by federal employees do NOT apply to “one appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate”

That provision appears in two places and appears to only provide for Federal Election Commission and a few other agency employees. The Department of Energy is not on either exception list.

17 posted on 07/29/2022 11:11:36 AM PDT by IYAS9YAS (There are two kinds of people: Those who can extrapolate from incomplete data.)
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To: Red Badger

Hold out your wrist. Someone give me a feather.


18 posted on 07/29/2022 11:12:39 AM PDT by DPMD ( )
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To: Red Badger

“Independent federal agency.”

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHSHSHSHSHSHSHSHSHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAH


19 posted on 07/29/2022 4:38:40 PM PDT by Organic Panic (Democrats. Memories as short as Joe Biden's eyes)
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