Hatch Act gets more teeth after White House ‘loophole’ closed

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The agency responsible for enforcing the Hatch Act is attempting to rein in years of White House violations with new guidance that could make disciplinary action more likely.

On Monday, the Office of Special Counsel announced it would no longer give the president sole discretion on whether to pursue violations, as it has for senior White House officials. Instead, cases will be brought to the Merit Systems Protection Board, a quasi-judicial body that can punish staffers if they are found to have violated the statute.

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