Politics
Nonprofit Investigating Whether Tom Perez’ DNC Bid Broke The Law
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A nonprofit watchdog filed a Freedom of Information Act request Thursday to determine if Secretary of Labor Tom Perez violated a law banning federal employees from political activity in his bid for Democratic National Committee chairman.
Cause of Action (COA) Institute asked the Department of Labor for records of Perez’ schedule covering December 12 through December 15 and communications with DNC voting members and governors, after Politico reported Perez emailed DNC party chairs Wednesday morning and set up a conference call to announce his candidacy for DNC chairman. The Hatch Act bans federal employees from using their official authority to influence election results.
“The law is clear: public officials paid by taxpayers cannot use their position to engage in political activities,” COA Institute Assistant Vice President Henry Kerner said in a news release. “The Obama administration’s unprecedented history of Hatch Act violations threatens to undermine this important protection. Americans have a right to know if Sec. Perez used taxpayer-funded resources to further his own political campaign.”
Perez’ predecessor, former Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, resigned when word broke that she allegedly solicited campaign contributions from a subordinate. But she wasn’t the only official in President Barack Obama’s cabinet to possibly violate the Hatch Act. (RELATED: Harry Reid Claims James Comey violated The Hatch Act — Law Prof Says He’s Wrong)
The U.S. Office of Special Counsel in July found Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro violated the Hatch Act when he endorsed Hillary Clinton for president during a Yahoo News interview. Before that, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel found Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius violated the Hatch Act when she gave the keynote speech at a gala and asked attendees to reelect President Obama.
DOL has 20 business days to respond to CoA Institute by law.
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