《哈奇法案》是什么？白宫顾问涉嫌违法？

一家联邦监察部门在上周四建议，白宫顾问凯莉安妮·康韦应被免职，原因是她违反了《哈奇法》（Hatch Act），这部诞生于1939年的法律要求，应限制受联邦政府资助的雇员参与政治活动。

《哈奇法》规定，任何行政雇员均不得竞选党派政治职位，也不得“利用其官方权力或影响力干涉或影响选举或提名的结果”。该法案原名为《防止有害政治活动法案》，但后来以法案作者、前新墨西哥州参议员卡尔·哈奇的名字命名。

美国特别检察官办公室（一个联邦监管部门，并非前特别检察官罗伯特·穆勒的办公室）上周四称，康韦是“惯犯”，已经屡次违反《哈奇法》，因为她在以白宫顾问的官方身份发言时，经常攻击民主党总统候选人。

康韦的认证推特账户虽然不属于白宫官方页面，但在其个人描述中包含了“顾问”一词。康韦使用这个账号批评过多位2020年总统选举候选人，包括乔·拜登（“不知道2019年的乔·拜登是否和2012年的乔·拜登持相同意见”）、参议员柯尔斯滕·吉利布兰德（“另一个骑墙派大骗子”）和知名度不高的众议员埃里克·斯瓦尔威尔（“他在最近的民调中根本没有记录”）。

康韦还曾经在推特上讽刺纽约市市长白思豪在5月的一场筹款活动上只召集了一小波人参加，她自己致完辞后，在推特上写道：“大小很重要，白思豪。事情该这么做。”她还在电视采访中谈论党派政治。

白宫辩称，特别检察官办公室的指控违反了康韦的言论自由。该法律规定，“雇员保留其选择投票的权利，以及就政治议题和候选人发表意见的权利”，只有在以官方身份行事时，才禁止发表政治活动主张。

根据该法律，特别检察官办公室应该将其调查结果提交给功绩制保护委员会，后者将为涉事员工安排听证会，以决定采取何种行动。（财富中文网）

译者：Agatha

A federal watchdog recommended lastThursday that White House counselor Kellyanne Conway be removed from her post due to violations of the Hatch Act, a 1939 law that limits the political activity of federally financed employees.

The Hatch Act states that no administrative employee may run for partisan political office or “use his official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with or affecting the result of an election or a nomination for office.” It was originally titled “an act to prevent pernicious political activities,” but has since been named for its author, former New Mexico Senator Carl Hatch.

The Office of Special Counsel (a federal watchdog not to be confused with the office of former Special Counsel Robert Mueller) said last Thursday that Conway is a “repeat offender” of the Hatch Act, as she frequently attacks Democratic presidential candidates while speaking in her official capacity as White House counselor.

Conway’s verified Twitter account, while not an official White House page, includes “Counselor” in its description. Conway has used the account to criticize various 2020 candidates, including Joe Biden (“wonder if Joe Biden 2019 agrees with Joe Biden 2012”), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (“Another flip-flopper whopper”), and the little-known Rep. Eric Swalwell (“he literally doesn’t register in these latest #polls”).

Conway needled New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio for turning out a relatively small crowd at a fundraiser in May, tweeting “Size matters, deBlasio. This is how it’s done,” after her own successful address. She also addresses partisan politics in television interviews.

The White House has argued that the OSC’s allegations target Conway’s right to free speech. The law states “an employee retains the right to vote as he chooses and to express his opinion on political subjects and candidates;” it is only when acting in one’s official capacity that such opinionated political activities are prohibited.

According to the law, the OSC should present its findings to the Merit Systems Protection Board, which will then set a hearing for the employee in question to determine a course of action.