White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders broke the law when she used her official government position to attack a restaurant that kicked her out.
As PoliticusUSA’s Sarah Jones first tweeted:
#SarahSanders is using her power as a press secretary from the most powerful bully pulpit in the world to harm a business for not wanting to serve her as she defends the kidnapping and caging of babies.
But yeah, she's the victim here. Like always.
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) June 23, 2018
Former White House ethics chief Walter Shaub tweeted:
Sanders used her official govt account to condemn a private business for personal reasons. Seeks to coerce business by using her office to get public to pressure it. Violates endorsements ban too, which has an obvious corollary for discouraging patronage. Misuse reg covers both.
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) June 23, 2018
Opening sentences of 5 CFR 2635.702 cover both; 702(a) gives example of coercion; 702(c) gives example of endorsement. Also 2635.101(b)(8) bars preferential treatment, with obvious corollary for singling out. She can lob attacks on her own time but not using her official position
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) June 23, 2018
It is against the law for Sanders to use her official position to attack the restaurant
Sarah Sanders, not only abused her official position to try to destroy the Red Hen restaurant. She also broke the law. These laws exist to keep people in prominent government positions from abusing their power. Since Donald Trump views himself as above the law, this culture has trickled down through his entire administration. Trump has an EPA administrator, Scott Pruitt, who is a one-man crime wave. Trump and his family are using their position in the White House for personal financial gain, and now his press secretary is using her position, instead of her personal Twitter account to harass and intimidate a business owner.
The Trump administration is more lawless than Richard Nixon. Sarah Sanders is an example of why the entire Trump crew must be cleaned out of Washington.
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Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
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