Kellyanne Conway, who currently serves as counselor to President Donald Trump, reportedly broke federal laws in 2017. Conway's offense? Expressing her preference for one candidate over another in Alabama's special senate election.
This much came to light after a federal investigator released a report Tuesday, according to Politico.
Conway gave two interviews to Fox News and CNN in November and December 2017. The report states that Conway in these interviews lobbied against Democrat Doug Jones and for Republican Roy Moore.
In the November interview with Fox News, Conway told viewers not to be "fooled" by Jones. In the December interview with CNN, she defended Moore against allegations of sexual misconduct. In that interview, Chris Cuomo actually warned Conway to "be careful about the Hatch Act."
"In passing this law, Congress intended to promote public confidence in the executive branch by ensuring the federal government is working for all Americans without regard to their political views," the report states of the Hatch Act. "Ms. Conway's statements during the 'Fox & Friends' and 'New Day' interviews impermissibly mixed official government business with political views about candidates in the Alabama special election for U.S. Senate."
The White House, however, refutes the report.
"Kellyanne Conway did not advocate for or against the election of any particular candidate," said deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley Tuesday. "She simply expressed the president's obvious position that he have people in the House and Senate who support his agenda. In fact, Kellyanne's statements actually show her intention and desire to comply with the Hatch Act—as she twice declined to respond to the host's specific invitation to encourage Alabamians to vote for the Republican."
