Politics

Special Counsel Opens Investigation Into Trump Campaign’s Use Of White House

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The U.S. Office of the Special Counsel opened an investigation into the Trump campaign’s use of the White House as an Election Day command center, Democratic New Jersey Rep. Bill Pascrell said Thursday.

The special counsel’s office confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation that the investigation was opened into Pascrell’s complaint, but a spokesman declined to provide additional comment.

Pascrell said that the government watchdog responded to his request for a probe “to determine whether the Hatch Act was violated.” If the counsel finds that the allegations against the Trump campaign are true, it would be a violation of federal law, Reuters reported.

Not only did President Donald Trump monitor election results from the White House, but he addressed hundreds of supporters in the East Room and was briefed in the Residence and Oval Office throughout the day by campaign officials, which Pascrell said put them at risk of violating federal law as well.

UPDATE The Special Counsel’s Office informed me today they’re investigating the trump campaign’s use of the White House as an Election Day campaign command center and party room for violating the Hatch Act. https://t.co/8sqFjD7zPg

— Bill Pascrell, Jr. (@BillPascrell) November 5, 2020

The Hatch Act limits the political activities in which federal employees can engage, with exceptions for the president and vice president.

The White House denied the allegations, and spokesman Judd Deere said that “both the activity of Administration officials, as well as any political activity undertaken by members of the Administration, are conducted in compliance with the Hatch Act.”

The investigation follows an advisory opinion that the office issued Wednesday, addressing questions as to what qualified as violations of the Act.