On Friday, a major liberal watchdog group filed a Hatch Act complaint against White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, alleging that her apparent endorsement of Virginia Governor Terry McCauliffe during a White House press briefing may have violated federal law.
"We're going to do everything we can to help former governor McAuliffe, and we believe in the agenda he's representing," Psaki said at her daily press briefing on Thursday.
CREW wonder why public has no interest of Psaki's violations
Forecasters are describing the forthcoming Virginia governor race on November 2 as a national bellwether. According to recent polls, McAuliffe, a Democrat and former governor of Virginia, is neck and neck with his Republican opponent, Glenn Youngkin.
CREW claims the Hatch Act prohibits any executive branch workers from engaging in political activities in their official position, as per News Talk Florida.
Psaki's alleged Hatch Act violation, according to CREW, is "nowhere near as serious" as those committed by officials of the Trump administration. The organization claims it has filed several Hatch Act complaints against "an unprecedented number" of members of the Trump administration.
In May 2019, the Office of Special Counsel proposed that Kellyanne Conway, a former top adviser to former President Donald Trump, be dismissed for breaking the Hatch Act.
Psaki's remarks sparked the wrath of former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, who wondered on Twitter why the media was so uninterested in holding her accountable for any Hatch Act breaches.
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Psaki vows to be careful of her words
Per Republic World, after CREW filed a complaint saying she had breached the Hatch Act, White House press secretary Jen Psaki vowed to think about her comments more carefully. While the president has publicly expressed his support for McAuliffe, Psaki told Fox News that the White House will leave the race analysis to the press and the campaign.
She states that she takes ethics very seriously and that she will be more cautious in the future with her remarks. Psaki admitted that she had to be cautious about how much political analysis she could do from the platform during the Virginia gubernatorial campaign, which CREW criticized.
She went on to say that the president wants former Virginia Governor McAuliffe to be the next governor. According to Psaki, a lot of their agenda is in accord, whether it's the need to spend money on rebuilding roads, trains, and bridges, or making it easier for women to return to work. She added that they will do everything to help former Governor McAuliffe and that they support the cause he represents.
Meanwhile, Psaki chastised NBC News' Kelly O'Donnell for asking about President Joe Biden's health "all the time." At the conclusion of a press briefing on Thursday, Brian Karem, Playboy's White House reporter, asked Psaki when the president will get a physical exam.
Karem persisted, insisting that Biden have a checkup before the end of the year. Psaki then singled out O'Donnell as someone who frequently inquired about the subject. Although reporters can ask inquiries in other circumstances, O'Donnell brought up Biden's health during a briefing in September.
Another reporter followed up on that topic, inquiring about the timing of Biden's first physical since assuming office. Psaki told reporters in May that following the president's next medical test, the White House will be "transparent" with information, but she did not confirm if one had been planned at the time, Newsweek via MSN reported.
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