War Secretary Pete Hegseth participated in a campaign rally on Monday for former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein, who is running for Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District against incumbent Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY).

Hegseth’s participation breaks a long-held norm that defense secretaries avoid partisan politics, though his willingness to wade into partisanship has long been a component of his tenure. There were also concerns, which the Pentagon disputed, that his appearance at the rally violated the Hatch Act, a law that limits the political activities of executive branch employees.