June 13, 2019

House Oversight Committee Votes to Authorize Subpoena for Kellyanne Conway

The move follows a federal watchdog’s recommendation that she be fired over her repeated Hatch Act violations.

Zach Gibson/ZUMA

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Update, June 26: The House Oversight and Reform Committee voted 25-16 on Wednesday to subpoena White House counselor Kellyanne Conway after she failed to appear at a hearing on her repeated Hatch Act violations. Rep. Justin Amash, the first and so far only Republican to call to begin impeachment proceedings against the president, was the only Republican to support the resolution to subpoena Conway.

Previously:

A federal watchdog agency on Thursday recommended that Kellyanne Conway be “removed from federal service” over her repeated violations of the Hatch Act, a law that bars federal employees from making political remarks with the purpose of influencing an election.

“Ms. Conway’s violations, if left unpunished, would send a message to all federal employees that they need not abide by the Hatch Act’s restrictions,” the Office of the Special Counsel said in a statement. “Her actions thus erode the principal foundation of our democratic system—the rule of law.”

The report, which was sent to the White House, also cited her social media posts disparaging Democratic 2020 candidates.

Conway previously ran afoul of the law over interviews she gave in 2017 about the Alabama Senate special election.

The OSC’s statement on Thursday referenced Conway’s recent mocking of her prior Hatch Act violations. “Blah, blah blah. If you’re trying to silence me through the Hatch Act, it’s not going to work,” Conway told a reporter after she attacked Joe Biden. “Let me know when the jail sentence starts.” 

The White House on Thursday fired back at the OSC’s determination, rejecting it as “deeply flawed” and in violation of Conway’s First Amendment rights. “Its decisions seem to be influenced by media pressure and liberal organizations,” a statement from White House Deputy Press Secretary Steven Groves read.

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WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

“Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

That’s what a civil rights lawyer wrote to Julia Lurie, the day after her major investigation into a psychiatric hospital chain that uses foster children as “cash cows” published, letting her know he was using her findings that same day in a hearing to keep a child out of one of the facilities we investigated.

That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

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