Holy cow! Donald Trump proposes subjecting White House staff to prosecution under the Hatch Act so he can give his GOP nomination acceptance speech from the White House, and Senator John Thune immediately offers sensible criticism of this disgusting and legally questionable politicization of the White House:
A campaign address from the White House would not only bust norms; it could cause White House aides setting up for the event to violate the Hatch Act, which bans political activity on the taxpayers’ dime. (Trump isn’t subject to the Hatch Act, but everyone else is.)
“Is that even legal? I assume that’s not something that you could do,” Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., said on Wednesday when approached by reporters about the idea. “I think anything to do on federal property would seem to be problematic.”
Another Republican senator, Wisconsin’s Ron Johnson, told reporters that Trump’s proposal is “probably not allowed” and he “probably shouldn’t do it” [Tamara Keith, “Trump Suggests Convention Speech at White House; GOP Sen. Asks, ‘Is That Even Legal?’” NPR, 2020.08.05].
The President and Vice-President are exempt from the Hatch Act, but there is a statute that says the Commander-in-Chief and his vice, along with everyone else in power, may not “intimidate, threaten, command, or coerce, or attempt to intimidate, threaten, command, or coerce, any employee of the Federal Government as defined in section 7322(1) of title 5, United States Code, to engage in, or not to engage in, any political activity, including, but not limited to, voting or refusing to vote for any candidate or measure in any election, making or refusing to make any political contribution, or working or refusing to work on behalf of any candidate.” So arguably, if Trump orders White House staff to put up campaign decorations for his partisan speech, he could be fined or imprisoned for up to three years.
And of course, the Hatch Act still prevents the President from using government resources, like the White House, for a partisan political campaign event.
So keep raising that alarm, Senator Thune! If Donald Trump rises to give his convention speech from the Oval Office or the South Lawn, we’ll look forward to your rising via Zoom with a point of order.
From MSN News: “If I use the White House, we save tremendous amounts of money for the government in terms of security, traveling. If we go to another state or some other location, the amount of money is very enormous,” he said. “I think it would be a very convenient location and by far the least expensive location.”
Yea, we know. We’re still paying for your campaign trip to Mt Rushmore.
There is a CNN/New Yorker author’s new book out describing failures surrounding the Mueller report of high crimes/misdemeanors and AG Barr’s slippery enabling keeping Trump out of prison; and the inadequacy of impeachment as a remedy.
Too much power for this president; and Don Pay points out waiting when/if the election boots Trump out—we can’t wait (the reason he was impeached).
So … following the SCOTUS decision, Monday “attorneys for Vance said Trump’s arguments that the subpoena was too broad stemmed from ‘the false premise’ that the investigation was limited to so-called ‘hush-money’ payments.
They said public reporting demonstrates that at the time the subpoena was issued ‘there were public allegations of possible criminal activity at plaintiff’s New York county-based Trump Organization dating back over a decade.’” https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/aug/05/deutsche-bank-donald-trump-financial-records-new-york
Illegality in the Republican party doesn’t end with trump. Rounds no doubt shares Trump’s knowledge that if GOP paid lawyers propose and answer written questions (a mistake Mueller allowed) rather than submitting to cross examination. The criminal gets off. And gets elected Senator after the EB5 $600M fraud.
He can go to the trump international hotel in Washington DC which is “just minutes from the white house” according to its online ad. That shouldn’t cost too much.
Must be election season. Marlboro Barbie wants you to know he has an ethic when it comes to wingnut criminal drumpf. Might want to bronze that baby for posterity.
While I appreciate John’s response to this inquiry, he long ago lost my respect and will not recover with strategic flashes of pandering. Other more egregious W.H. offenses seem to have escaped the purview of Senators Thune and Rounds. Selective vision or just party hacks? Both seem to have no moral core and are willing to bend with the wind. !@#%^&*
mfi, I think you give Senator Thune too much credit here. Calling a potential “problematic” is a far cry from condemning it as prohibited or illegal. It is even further from taking action to address a legal or ethical infraction when it happens.
Thune is irrelevant like EB5 Short Rounds
“Senate Republicans are so irrelevant they are not even participating in talks between the president’s representatives — White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin — and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.). That’s right: The Democratic minority leader is relevant; the Republicans are not.” Washington Post 8.6.20
Republican Senators have proven they are not needed in Washington. Even when they’re in the majority, they prove to be worthless.
O, in Marlboro Barbie’s defense, the word problematic is as close to a swear word he is allowed to approach. :)
Being the Numero 2-0 lemming is not much of an accomplishment for a guy who has accomplished so little for so much pay.
A second round of Spineless
The man in the empty suit has spoken.Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.Their has to be somebody to represent us better than photo op.
“Numero 2-0 lemming” Mike
🤣🤣🤣🤣
“photo op” Moses 6
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Both are so fitting. Has thune accomplished anything substantial for SD in this century? Anything at all?