Psaki had been asked whether the Biden administration considered McAuliffe’s race against Youngkin a “bellwether” ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. The complaint to the Office of Special Counsel alleged Psaki improperly used her office to affect the outcome of next month’s election.
On Friday, Citizens for Responsibility & Ethics in Washington, a government watchdog group, filed a complaint accusing Psaki of violating the federal Hatch Act by praising McAuliffe during her regular briefing Thursday. The airing of the ad comes as another member of the Biden administration, White House press secretary Jen Psaki, has come under fire for involving herself in the Virginia governor’s race.Įthics group files Hatch Act complaint against WH Press Secretary Psaki The IRS did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment. “Not only is this legally questionable but it’s ironic a politician who supports extreme abortion practices is targeting people of faith,” Rep. Politicians also questioned the legality of the advertisement. When you mix politics and religion, you get politics,” he tweeted. “This is a bad idea, It was bad when the Republicans did it, and it is bad when the Democrats do it. AP Photo/Steve HelberĬhristian author Ed Stetzer simply called the campaign a “bad idea.” McAuliffe is running for governor against Republican Glenn Youngkin. It is a bipartisan problem that’s been frequent during the VA gubernatorial campaign,” they wrote in a tweet. “Using religious institutions for politicking is not new nor is it a feature of a single party or theology. The Secular Coalition for America, an advocacy lobbying group which describes itself as “representing the interests of atheists, humanists, freethinkers, agnostics, and other nontheistic Americans,” slammed the ad as an “inappropriate mixing of government, politics, and religion.” “Currently, the law prohibits political campaign activity by charities and churches by defining a 501(c)(3) organization as one ‘which does not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office,’ ” the IRS website states. The law, approved by Congress in 1954, prohibits 501(c)(3) organizations - including churches and charities - from “engaging in any political campaign activity.” An ad featuring Vice President Kamala Harris endorsing Terry McAuliffe for governor of Virginia may have violated an IRS rule by airing in churches. Harris’ campaign video drew broad criticism over the weekend, with many questioning the legality of its airing due to rules set by the Internal Revenue Service that prevent churches and charities from getting involved in political campaigns. McAuliffe, who has been steadily slipping in the polls, is facing off against Republican Glenn Youngkin. She called on Virginians to “raise your voice through your vote,” urging viewers to cast their ballot for the former Democratic governor of the state. Harris starts off the ad by citing her own experience in a church growing up, recalling singing hymns about “how faith combined with determination will see us through difficult times.” The vice president is the star of the ad, in which she calls McAuliffe “the leader Virginia needs at this moment.” The video advertisement, first obtained by CNN, is set to be aired in 300 churches across the state from Oct. Hundreds of churches across Virginia began airing a political ad featuring Vice President Kamala Harris urging viewers to vote for Terry McAuliffe for governor over the weekend - raising questions about the legality of the advertisement being aired in houses of worship. VP Harris botches Juneteenth history lesson about ‘400 years of slavery’ MSNBC’s Joy Reid slams ‘white and male’ media’s portrayal of Kamala Harris Cheap veep: DNC slashes price for photo op with Harris by $10K
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