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John Kerry's "Spendometer" and Those Treasury Department Tax Analysts

Is OSC's Finding Credible?

Assistant General Counsel
DOD
Wed Sep 14, 2005 2:02 PM

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I find it hard to believe that the Hatch Act allows Treasury to use its civil servants as pawns in a Presidential election. The employees in this case clearly engaged in political activity while on duty, in violation of the Hatch Act.

Unfortunately, this Special Counsel is a Republican appointee who has shown that he will go to any lengths to shirk his legal responsibilities and protect the administration. Any OSC finding under Scott Bloch's leadership is simply not credible.

Re: Is OSC's Finding Credible?

HR Specialist
DoD
Wed Sep 14, 2005 3:11 PM
It is my impression (from the FedSmith article and one other source as well) the same Treasury offices have done similar analyses under the Clinton administration and it was not a violation then either--and the Special Counsel was a Democratic appointee who had worked at NTEU so arguably any OSC finding at that time would not have been credible either if your logic is valid.

Moreover, apparently the Treasury Counsel's office had given the "okay" to go ahead with the study--and presumably did the same thing when it came up under President Clinton as well.

In other words, if it was a violation, it was a violation under both administrations but the finding seems to be that they were doing the jobs they were paid to do; how the politicians used the information was not within their purview.

osc finding

HR Specialist
va
Wed Sep 14, 2005 6:14 PM

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This activity doesn't pass the smell test, regardless of which administration may have engaged in it or whose political appointee is currently over OSC. The spirit of the law matters as well as the letter, and the spirit of the Hatch Act is violated with this type of activity.

Re: osc finding

HR
DOT
Thu Sep 15, 2005 6:50 AM
I agree. And I'm sure the employees have enough real work to do, rather than analyze tax plans proposed by candidates who aren't even in the right office to affect them. The political parties should be able to fund independent analyses.

Re: osc finding

HR Specialist
FAA
Thu Sep 15, 2005 10:52 AM
It's the same old thing - politics is politics no matter who is in the White House and that always comes before any consideration of what is best for the country.
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