GSA Chief Lurita Doan Violated the Hatch Act

By Scott Horton

The U.S. Office of Special Counsel has completed its investigation of General Services Administration Director Lurita Doan on charges of violating the Hatch Act. The charges were found to be correct. The Federal Times reports:

An Office of Special Counsel report has found that General Services Administration chief Lurita Doan violated the Hatch Act, which bars federal officials from partisan political activity while on the job, sources say.

The report addresses a Jan. 26 lunch meeting at GSA headquarters attended by Doan and about 40 political appointees, some of whom participated by videoconference. During the meeting, Scott Jennings, the White House deputy director of political affairs, gave a PowerPoint presentation that included slides listing Democratic and Republican seats the White House viewed as vulnerable in 2008, a map of contested Senate seats and other information on 2008 election strategy. According to meeting participants, Doan asked after the call how GSA could help “our candidates.”

Doan will now be permitted to reply to the report before further action is taken. The U.S. Special Counsel may recommend that Doan be fired and that further steps be taken, potentially including the opening of a criminal investigation against her.