“Though at the time Patton claimed that the video had been vetted and cleared of Hatch Act violations by the White House, she has admitted as part of the settlement with OSC announced Tuesday that her conduct violated the law.”
Either the Trump administration said, like she did, “who cares about the Hatch act?” or she just lied.
The entire FEC?
A 48 month ban will take her just past the end of Biden’s first term. It isn’t as if she’ll be a government employee during that period. In the current circumstances, this penalty doesn’t amount to more than a very mild hand slap. I wonder who‘ll pay the fine for her.
I call B.S. If another trumpist is elected, she’ll be secretary of state for owning the libs. With a raise for getting fined for it.
Not the best look. I do hope it’s the first among many and that Hatch Act penalties will come down also on Trump-admin officials who are no longer gov’t employees. *Cough* Kelly-Anne, Pompeo, Trump *Cough*.
An intentional violation should also be a lifetime ban.
“Hello, Tech Support? Yeah, there seems to be an issue with my browser. I’m seeing the words ‘penalty’ and ‘Hatch Act’ together on a headline.”
“Don’t touch anything! We’re kicking off a remote reimage of your PC right now.”
Must be the deterrent value of the scary sounding name that they’re relying on. 
There were plenty of attempts on the Dem side over the last couple of years (like KellyAnne Conway), but Barr & Co blocked them. I suspect that some/many may be revisited, although, since IANAL, i have no idea if something like double jeopardy plays a role here.
There are plenty of targets though… The whole kit and caboodle were violating…
Well, I guess Patton won’t be buying this sweet 1997 Dodge Strata, with fewer than 200,000 miles, off of CarFax, any time soon, will she!
https://www.carfax.com/vehicle/1B3EJ46XXVN616797
(Seller’s Summary: 3 Previous Owners, 4 cyl., 2.4 ltr., Air Conditioning, Cassette, Cloth Low-Back Bucket Seats, Dual front impact airbags.)
Can’t pay the fine, don’t do the crime.
IANAL either but for double jeopardy to apply, you first have to face single jeopardy. Facing no day in court means facing no jeopardy.
YMMV, though.
Totally agree. I have zero sympathy for this sellout who beclowned herself for Trump, yet it is striking that she’s the first one penalized when there were far, far more egregious violations. Ivanka committed what seemed to be a Hatch Act violation a week and most of them were committed on camera.
Well, we’ll just have to keep that from happening.
It was because she filmed other people without telling them what it was for.
That’s pretty egregious.
Patton is the person that all the Trumps point to when they say they are not racist because they have Black friends.
Don’t forget Kellyanne. I think she was the first.
Apparently impeachment.
She probably got less than the $1400 since her salary for the 2019 tax filing year was just over six figures for being the regional HUD administrator.
From the New York Times article:
“Unfortunately, after consulting multiple Hatch Act lawyers post-employment, receiving incorrect and/or incomplete legal advice, even in good faith, from your own agency does not an affirmative defense make,” Ms. Patton wrote.
The old adage ignorance of the law is no excuse applies here.
Yes but in contrast to Princess Grift-A-Lot, Patton didn’t stand to personally gain financially from her deceit, at least not directly.
They didn’t ask to install Chrome first?
Just another criminal Republican.