The Trump White House’s social media director broke the Hatch Act earlier this year when, while on government time, he called for Trump supporters to defeat Republican Rep. Justin Amash, the government’s ethics watchdog concluded this week.
The Office of Special Counsel, which polices these issues, said Dan Scavino Jr. has been warned and counseled, and told that if he does it again he could face a severe punishment.
Mr. Scavino tweeted on April 1 from his personal account calling for the defeat of Mr. Amash, a Michigan Republican, in a primary election, after Mr. Amash was poised to vote against the House GOP Obamacare repeal legislation.
“OSC has concluded that this activity violated the Hatch Act,” the special counsel’s office said in a letter to Sen. Tom Carper, a Delaware Democrat who complained and asked for the review.
The OSC said it concluded that Mr. Scavino was acting in his official capacity at the time he wrote the tweet, in which he said: @realDonaldTrump is bringing auto plants & jobs back to Michigan. @justinamash is a big liability.#TrumpTrain, defeat him in primary.”
The White House didn’t respond to a request for comment.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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