World News – AU – Investigate Trump’s use of the White House as a campaign base

The US Office of Special Advocates has opened an investigation into allegations that the Trump campaign used the White House as a command center on election day in violation of federal law, the representative said today Democrat Bill Pascrell

Donald Trump, flanked by Karen Pence, US Vice President Mike Pence, and US First Lady Melania Trump, speaks during election night in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC
Photo: AFP

In a statement, Pascrell said the Federal Watchdog responded to his call for an investigation today, telling him that a special unit « has opened an investigation into the allegations to determine whether the Hatch Act had been raped « 

President Donald Trump monitored election results in the living room of the White House residence on Wednesday, later speaking to some 200 supporters gathered in the East Room

Pascrell had asked Special Advocate Henry Kerner to investigate reports suggesting that Trump was using the space in the adjacent Eisenhower Executive Office building – on the White House grounds – as a living room. campaign war « 

News of the investigation comes alongside yet another inflammatory speech from Trump, who again falsely claimed that the US election was rigged

Due to the pandemic, many Americans voted by mail, which means that the vote count took longer than usual

The president repeated, without proof, that according to a count of « legal votes », he would be the presumed winner of this election

Several news networks, including ABC, CBS and MSNBC, cut off the president, who spoke for about 15 minutes in the White House briefing room before leaving without answering questions

As MSNBC walked away from the White House, after the president falsely declared victory, presenter Brian Williams commented: « We are again in the unusual position of not just interrupting the President of the States United, but correct the President of the United States States « 

WATCH: « OK Here we are again in the unusual position of not only interrupting the President of the United States, but correcting the President of the United States, » Brian Williams said on @MSNBC a few moments later. president’s statement tonight imageTwittercom / 2AliTQuSsr

The BBC also reported that Trump’s claims were unfounded Votes always counted are not illegal votes, as Trump suggests, but legitimate mail-in ballots They are counted last because it ‘is standard procedure in some states, says BBC North American reporter

Republican Gov. of Maryland Larry Hogan said there was « no defense » of Trump’s comments In a Twitter post, he said the remarks « undermined our democratic process »

There is no defense for the President’s words tonight that undermine our democratic process America counts the votes and we must respect the results as we always have before No election or no one is more important than our democracy https: // tco / BOO2iaTsEf

Meanwhile, Pascrell said the president was also to be briefed at the White House residence and Oval Office throughout the day by campaign officials, which he said was exposing officials of the executive at the risk of violating federal law

The Hatch Act of 1939 restricts the political activities of federal employees, with the exception of the president and vice president

The White House denies any violation of federal law « Both the official activity of administration officials and any political activity undertaken by members of the administration are carried out in accordance with Hatch law, » said the spokesperson Judd Deere

Pascrell said the office of the special adviser told him he « had not been consulted (by the Trump campaign or the White House) on the decision to use the space inside the building of Eisenhower’s executive office as a campaign « war room » »

The agency opened an investigation last month into Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s speech at the Republican National Convention in August and last year recommended the sacking of Kellyanne Conway, then Trump’s senior adviser, for repeated violations

Special Advisor Kerner is a person appointed by Trump who previously worked for Republican lawmakers in Congress His office is an independent agency that enforces the Hatch Law He is not linked to the office of former US Special Advisor Robert Mueller

Outgoing president says he is working to protect the integrity of the election against what he calls « illegal votes »

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White House, US Office of Special Advocates, Hatch Act of 1939, Bill Pascrell, Republican Party