A federal agency is reporting that officials in President George W. Bush's White House improperly conducted political briefings on government property, and encouraged employees to get involved in campaigns, meaning that taxpayers footed the bill for political activity.
"As the 2006 election drew nearer, OPA (the White House Office of Political Affairs) became a partisan political organization," reported the Office of Special Counsel, an advisory agency that reviews applications of the federal Hatch Act. The Hatch Act forbids federal employees from engaging in election activity.
It should be noted that Bush's Republican Party lost control of the House and Senate in the 2006 congressional elections.
Also worth nothing: President Obama eliminated his White House Office of Political Affairs last week, shifting its operations to the Democratic National Committee
Among the findings of the Office of Special Counsel:
Based on the evidence gathered during this investigation, many of the political briefings presented by OPA staff during the Bush II administration addressed upcoming elections, targeted congressional districts, and ways in which appointees at the federal agencies could help by volunteering in those targeted races
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