By james art WASHINGTON (TNND) — A Florida congressman asked US Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday to investigate whether Vice President Kamala Harris violated the Hatch Act.
Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., told Garland that Harris may have violated the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal officials from using their power for political purposes, when she spoke to reporters at the White House on Wednesday about a story about former President Donald Trump, published by The Atlantic.
“It is a crime under federal law for any federal officer or employee to “use his official authority to interfere with or influence the nomination or election of any candidate for the office of President, Vice President, President-elect, Member of the Senate, Member of the House of Representatives,” Rep. Mills wrote.
“I am asking you to investigate today’s undisputed ‘press conference’ as it appears to be a direct use of official power to influence the upcoming election,” he continued.
Harris said during his remarks that people like John Kelly, Trump’s former chief of staff, would not be present in a second Trump administration as “handrails.” Kelly claimed that Trump wanted military generals similar to those that Adolf Hitler had, according to The Atlantic.
“In a second term, people like John Kelly will not be there to be the railings against his tendencies and actions,” Harris said. “Those who once tried to stop him from pursuing his worst impulses will no longer be there and will not be there to contain him.”
She also asked what the public wanted after telling reporters that Trump wanted “unchecked power.”
“The bottom line is this. We know what Donald Trump wants. He wants unchecked power. The question in 13 days will be: What do the American people want?” Harris said.
Congressman Mills accused the vice president of making “vicious political attacks” from the White House, which he said was evidence that she broke the law. The Hatch Act does not apply to the president and vice president on a civil basis, but it does apply on a criminal basis, Rep. Mills said.
“As Attorney General, you are answerable to the President, but your oath is to the Constitution and the laws of the United States,” the congressman wrote.
“Given the proximity of the election, the American people deserve timely answers,” concluded Representative Mills.
Neither Garland nor the White House returned TNND’s request for comment.
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