Julian Castro, a leading contender to join Hillary Clinton’s ticket, is facing a formal complaint from the Office of Special Counsel for alleged overlap between his political advocacy and his official duties as head of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Castro criticized Donald Trump’s immigration positions during an April interview with Katie Couric, during which he also praised Hillary Clinton’s candidacy. Doing so apparently violated the Hatch Act, a federal law meant to create a firewall between government work and political activity for most administration officials.
“Secretary Castro’s statements during the interview impermissibly mixed his personal political views with official agency business despite his efforts to clarify that some answers were being given in his personal capacity,” Carolyn Lerner, head of the OSC, wrote in a letter to President Obama informing him of the “investigative findings” of the office’s probe.
In his interview with Couric, Castro touted a HUD program designed to “narrow the digital divide” that exists among low-income families who lack access to the Internet. He also spoke about Clinton’s vice presidential search, given rumors that the campaign was considering him as Clinton’s running mate.
According to the legal complaint, Castro preceded his praise of Clinton by telling Couric he was “taking off my HUD hat for a second and just speaking individually.”
However, the OSC argued that statement was not enough to justify the politically charged comments that followed, in which Castro said “it is very clear that Hillary Clinton is the most experienced, thoughtful and prepared candidate for president that we have this year.”
The complaint suggested Castro has already testified about his violation of the Hatch Act.
“Secretary Castro testified that at the time of the interview with Ms. Couric, he believed that his conduct and statements were consistent with his understanding of the Hatch Act,” the OSC complaint said. “Since that time, he has reconsidered this position.”
But the OSC noted Castro has received four briefings on the Hatch Act since becoming head of HUD in 2014.
The news could complicate Clinton’s search for a running mate, which is expected to conclude this week with the announcement of her selection at an event in Florida.
Other rumored contenders include Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine.
