White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre addressed allegations of a Hatch Act violation on Tuesday, stating the White House was unaware of any infringement. The Office of the Special Counsel (OSC) cited Jean-Pierre's use of "Mega MAGA" to characterize Republican policies as the basis for the violation. Jean-Pierre countered that the term is commonly used by Republicans themselves, and the White House was not privy to the OSC's interpretation at the time of her remarks.
Jean-Pierre confirmed that the White House Counsel's Office is reviewing the OSC's opinion and will formally respond. She pointed out the frequent use of "MAGA" on the archived Trump White House website and by Congressional Republicans to describe policies and agendas, even before the Biden administration. She emphasized that the OSC's opinion, issued last week, is retroactive and the White House lacked knowledge of their interpretation when Jean-Pierre made the comments.
The OSC alleges that Jean-Pierre's repeated use of "mega MAGA Republicans" during the lead-up to the 2022 midterm elections constituted a violation of the Hatch Act, which restricts federal employees from using their official positions to influence election outcomes. The OSC's letter, dated June 7, states that Jean-Pierre's comments, made in her official capacity, violated this prohibition. Jean-Pierre has often invoked the Hatch Act herself to deflect questions related to Biden's campaign, and she reiterated the White House's commitment to adhering to federal law.
One example of the cited comments occurred during a November 2 briefing, where Jean-Pierre criticized "mega MAGA Republican officials" for their stance on the rule of law, election results, and political violence. President Biden himself first used the term "mega MAGA" on October 21, referring to Republican economic policies as "mega MAGA trickle down."
