Bush ethics lawyer: Conway should be fired for violating law

The ethics chief for former President George W. Bush said Wednesday that Kellyanne Conway should be fired for her comments about the Alabama Senate race.

Richard Painter tweeted that Conway’s interview, in which she criticized Democratic candidate Doug Jones and encouraged voters to support GOP candidate Roy Moore, are in violation of federal law.

“She has violated the Hatch Act by using her position to take sides in a partisan election,” Painter tweeted. “That is a firing offense.”

This is an official interview. She has violated the Hatch Act by using her position to take sides in a partisan election. That is a firing offense. And for her this is strike two. https://t.co/U4kjbLu4NT

— Richard W. Painter (@RWPUSA) November 22, 2017

Painter’s comments come in response to Obama-era ethics chief Walter Shaub, who filed a complaint against Conway on Wednesday for violation of the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from making partisan remarks that could influence an election while using their official titles. 

{mosads}”It seems pretty clear she was appearing in her official capacity when she advocated against a candidate,” Shaub said Wednesday, referring to the interview in question, in which Conway is standing in front of the White House.

Without explicitly saying that Alabamians should vote for Moore, who has been accused of sexual misconduct and assault by numerous women, Conway slammed Jones and suggested that Moore would support the GOP’s tax-reform efforts.

“I’m telling you that we want the votes in the Senate to get this tax bill through,” she said.