Houston Chronicle, via AP
WASHINGTON — The head of the main federal contracting agency, a longtime GOP supporter, should be "punished to the fullest extent" for violating a ban on political advocacy on government time, a watchdog agency concluded.
The Office of Special Counsel, in a letter to President Bush released late Monday, said General Services Administrator Lurita Doan engaged in "the most pernicious of political activity" banned by the 1939 Hatch Act when she asked, at a meeting of General Services Administration political appointees, how they could help Republican candidates.
"I recommend that Administrator Doan be disciplined to the fullest extent for her serious violation of the Hatch Act and insensitivity to cooperating fully and honestly in the course of our investigation," wrote Scott Bloch, special counsel for the independent investigative and prosecutorial agency.
http://www.chron.com/...
As most of you may know, the Hatch Act, passed in 1939, forbids partisan activity of federal employees. Although it later became used as an anti-Communist Cold War tactic, it was upheld twice by the Supreme Court as constitutional. The law stipulates:
Active federal employees may:
- Be a candidate in a political election in which no candidates represent a political party
- Register and vote as they choose
- Assist in Voter Registration Drives
- Express opinions about candidates and issues
- Attend fundraisers and contribute money to political organizations and campaigns
- Volunteer on a campaign
- Recruit volunteers for a political campaign
- Participate in activities such as phone banking and precinct walking
- Display bumper stickers, lawn signs, and other campaign paraphernalia
- Raise money for their union's political action committee from other union members
- Run for nonpartisan offices (that is, parties are not listed on the ballot)
- Volunteer, run for, and hold an office in a local or state political party
Active Federal employees may not:
- Be a candidate in a political election in which any candidate represents a political party
- Raise money for a partisan political campaign
- Allow their names to be used in any fundraising appeal on behalf of a partisan political campaign
- Participate in a phone bank that is engaged in fundraising for a partisan campaign
- Raise money for their union's political action committee from persons other than their fellow union members
http://en.wikipedia.org/...
But of course, Doan is just a scapegoat of a runaway federal whistleblowing agency.
Doan's attorney, in a June 1 response to Bloch also released Monday, rejected the office's conclusions, saying Doan was only peripherally involved in the January 26 PowerPoint presentation by a senior White House political adviser at GSA headquarters on helping Republicans in coming elections.
Will the Bush White House official not indicted, corrupt, stupid or evil stand up? Bueller ... Bueller?