There is a new post Two staff members for Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) were attacked by a man wielding a metal baseball bat in his district office in Fairfax, Virginia. 

Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra violated an ethics law that limits federal employees' political activities when he stumped for Sen. Alex Padilla during the Congressional Hispanic Caucus' annual awards gala last year, the Office of Special Counsel has found.

See Also: Jen Psaki says, "No matter how hard they try to spin themselves as the party of family values…That's hard to do with a straight face given that the defacto leader of their party has now been branded a sexual abuser."

During his speech, Becerra, in his official capacity as HHS secretary, strayed from his prepared remarks that had been approved by an HHS ethics attorney and expressed his support for Padilla when speaking to attendees and said he would be voting for Padilla in California's Senate race, OSC said in a report to the White House.

See Also: Alexis McGill Johnson told MSNBC's Jen Psaki that "the way in which the system has been captured requires us to engage in structural reform in a different way."

"In delivering his speech, Secretary Becerra impermissibly mixed his personal electoral preference with official remarks," OSC Special Counsel Henry J. Kerner said in a letter to the White House. "While federal employees are permitted to express support for candidates when speaking in their personal capacity, the Hatch Act restricts employees from doing so when speaking as a government official."

See Also: Senator Bernie Sanders also talks about his new book 'It's OK to be Angry about Capitalism.'

See Also: GOP Gov. Chris Sununu to Jen Psaki: Best argument against Trump is he's 'a loser'

 

Kerner said that as the 2024 presidential election approaches, OSC's report on Becerra should be seen as an "opportunity to deter violations by reminding federal employees at all levels of the Hatch Act's restrictions."

See Also: 'Extreme abuse of power': Ocasio-Cortez slams abortion pill ruling

In response to OSC, Becerra said he did not intend to use his "official authority or influence for purpose of interfering with or affecting the result of an election."

See Also: Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg makes the most incredible statement of the day

"I regret this inadvertent violation," Becerra told OSC. "While I did not realize at the time that my off-the-cuff remarks concerning my personal voting intentions were in violation of the Hatch Act, I now understand why they were not permitted."

See Also: Former President Donald J. Trump Delivers Remarks at Mar-a-Lago

CNN has reached out to the White House for comment.

See Also: 'I call him Baby Trump': Al Sharpton on protesting Ron DeSantis administration's blocking of Black history

The Hatch Act of 1939 aims to prevent certain federal employees from having an impact on elections. The law is enforced by OSC and responses can vary significantly – from a slap on the wrist to job loss – when federal employees violate the act.

See Also: Kamala Harris dismisses unpopularity among Democrats ahead of 2024: 'Political chatter'

Biden's former chief of staff Ron Klain was found to have violated the Hatch Act last year when he sent a tweet from his official Twitter account that included a message to buy political merchandise for a Democratic group. He later removed the retweet and received no disciplinary action.

See Also: MSNBC contributor Jason Johnson claimed that when people think of Florida, they mostly think of "crystal meth and alligators."

The group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics also filed a complaint against Biden's former White House press secretary Jen Psaki alleging she endorsed former Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe during a press briefing in 2021.

See Also: "The View" co-host Joy Behar says the quiet part OUT LOUD about Trump vs DeSantis