VA secretary accused of misusing resources to campaign for Trump, other Republicans
Source: Stars and Stripes
By NIKKI WENTLING | STARS AND STRIPES
WASHINGTON – Two Democrats accused Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie on Tuesday of using department resources to campaign for the reelection of President Donald Trump and other Republican candidates.
Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., leaders of the Senate and House veterans’ affairs committees, alleged that Wilkie and other VA officials violated the Hatch Act – a law that bars federal employees, including Cabinet members, from engaging in political activity on the job. Wilkie’s taxpayer-funded trips often mix official business with “overtly political activities,” they said.
Tester and Takano outlined their concerns in a letter to Wilkie on Tuesday. They sent copies of the letter to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel and the VA Office of Inspector General.
“Data suggests that the travel, events and other related official actions of VA senior leaders are steering the department away from its apolitical mission and potentially using department resources in an attempt to tip the scale in favor of the president and other Republican candidates,” the Democrats wrote. “We are disappointed in the recent partisan turn of the department.”
Read more: https://www.stripes.com/news/veterans/democrats-accuse-va-secretary-of-misusing-resources-to-campaign-for-trump-other-republicans-1.648435
This is another Hatch Act violation referred to the Office of Special Counsel (OSC).
Just last week, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Purdue was found by OSC to have violated the Hatch Act, and if he does it again, the OSC said they could criminally prosecute. I sure as hell hope the NEXT Administration pursues full criminal prosecution for all these Hatch Act violations. We need BIDEN for law and order!
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Every time I see Air Force One used as a backdrop for a trump appearance.
There are all kinds of situations where our money should not be going for trump's reelection. And no one is doing anything about it. If this were a Democratic prez, they'd be all over it.
