Social Security Email Praises Trump Ahead of Midterms
The Social Security Administration sent an email to people with online accounts on October 30 and 31, praising President Donald Trump and describing the agency as improving under his leadership. Commissioner Frank Bisignano signed the message. A similar email from Bisignano went to IRS recipients on October 29, according to one account of the messages.
Legal experts said the Social Security email’s pro-Trump language and election timing could breach the Hatch Act, a law intended to prevent executive branch employees from using their government roles to influence partisan elections. Kathleen Clark, a Washington University in St. Louis law professor, said the message resembled political promotion rather than practical public information. University of Minnesota law professor Richard Painter also called it inappropriate and said it appeared aimed at persuading voters that Trump was doing a good job.
The latest email follows earlier political messages from the agency. In July, Democratic senators wrote to Bisignano objecting to what they called unsolicited, misleading messages praising Trump. Other agency emails had highlighted Republican tax cuts, including one sent in July and another about two weeks before the latest message. The Social Security Administration had not promptly answered a request for comment. The legal experts’ concerns also echo questions raised about a Trump administration advertising campaign earlier in the fall.
Social Security Used Public Email to Promote Trump Before Midterms
A federal agency should provide services, not use its reach to burnish a president’s image as voters approach an election. Yet the Social Security Administration emailed people with online accounts on October 30 and 31, portraying the agency as a model of excellence under Donald Trump. Commissioner Frank Bisignano signed the message; he also sent a similar email to IRS recipients on October 29.
Legal experts say the praise and timing could violate the Hatch Act, which bars executive branch staff from wielding official authority to sway party contests. Kathleen Clark, who teaches law at Washington University in St. Louis, described the message as political promotion rather than a public service announcement. Richard Painter, a University of Minnesota law professor, said it seemed designed to persuade people that Trump was performing well.
This was not the agency’s first political message. Democratic senators objected in July to unsolicited emails they said promoted Trump with misleading claims. Other Social Security messages celebrated Republican tax cuts, including one in July and another about two weeks before the latest email. The administration had not promptly answered a request for comment. The stakes are straightforward: government communication should serve the public, not appear to enlist official resources in an election campaign.
Legal Experts Question Social Security’s Pro-Trump Email
An agency email praising President Donald Trump shortly before the midterms has prompted legal questions about whether officials crossed a line into electioneering. The Social Security Administration sent the message to people with online accounts on October 30 and 31, with Commissioner Frank Bisignano describing the agency as a model of excellence under Trump. A similar message went to IRS recipients on October 29.
The Hatch Act seeks to stop federal officials in the executive branch from deploying their government roles to sway party contests. Legal experts said the email might run afoul of that law. Kathleen Clark, a Washington University in St. Louis law professor, argued it looked more like political promotion than useful information. Richard Painter, a University of Minnesota law professor, called it inappropriate and said its timing could be aimed at persuading voters.
The criticism comes amid a wider pattern of agency emails promoting Trump or Republican tax cuts. Democratic senators wrote to Bisignano in July objecting to messages they characterized as unsolicited and misleading; further tax-cut emails followed, including one about two weeks before the latest message. The Social Security Administration had not promptly answered a request for comment. Government agencies must be careful not to turn official communications into partisan advocacy, especially in the run-up to an election.
Reported by Raw Story, MSNBC, Newsweek.
