Social Security chief's email praising Trump before midterms draws legal questions
Law professor Kathleen Clark told the New York Times the emails seemed like "propaganda," while Newsweek reports no official ruling has found a violation.
Commissioner Frank Bisignano emailed people with online Social Security accounts to praise President Trump days before the elections. The message said that under Trump the agency is "transforming into a model of excellence." Newsweek says the emails went out on Oct. 30 and 31.
Bisignano also leads the , and Newsweek reports that a separate IRS email praised Trump's tax cuts. Newsweek says the praise and its timing have raised questions about the Hatch Act, which it describes as a federal law that bars some partisan political activity by executive branch employees. It adds that no official ruling has found a violation and that it asked the agency for comment.
Law professor Kathleen Clark told the New York Times the emails seemed to function as "propaganda" rather than public service announcements. Law professor Richard Painter told the Times the timing was meant to persuade people about Trump's job performance, and he called the messages inappropriate. Former Social Security commissioner Martin O'Malley, in a statement to MaddowBlog, said the agency is being used as a "pro-Trump voter contact platform" and described the delivery of falsehoods before the election as "an illegal misuse of the personal data of every American."
In July, Democratic senators wrote to Bisignano about an earlier Trump-praising email.
- Six times Trump was mentioned in the early July Social Security email, according to the senators — Newsweek
- 10 times Trump was named in an earlier pro-Trump message two weeks before, according to MS NOW — MS NOW
Three sides of the story
Liberal2 outlets
A pattern of partisan use of government email
MS NOW's headline says the agency's latest pre-election message was called "illegal." The piece quotes Martin O'Malley, who led the Social Security Administration under President Biden. He told MaddowBlog: "Social Security is being used as a pro-Trump voter contact platform before this election."
It also cites law professor Kathleen Clark, who told the New York Times the emails seemed to function as "propaganda" rather than as public service announcements. MS NOW sets the message beside earlier ones: an email two weeks before that named Trump 10 times, and an early July message that referred to him six times and prompted a letter from Democratic senators. It describes the agency as joining "a list of politicized agencies."
The New York Times headline says the IRS and Social Security emails praising Trump "May Violate Ethics Laws, Experts Say." Its description names the Hatch Act and ties both the IRS and Social Security messages to it, days before the midterms.
Center2 outlets
Hatch Act questions, but no ruling yet
Newsweek's headline says the email is "under scrutiny." It quotes Bisignano's line that the agency is "transforming into a model of excellence" under Trump, describes the Oct. 30 and 31 emails and explains the Hatch Act, enacted in 1939. It cites law professor Kathleen Clark, who told the Times the emails seemed to function as "propaganda," and law professor Richard Painter, who said the timing was meant to persuade people Trump is doing well.
It says no official ruling has found a violation, that it asked the agency for comment, and that Time reported at least nine of Trump's 15 Cabinet secretaries had faced formal Hatch Act accusations in recent months. It closes on whether a formal complaint or investigation will follow. The Hill's headline says the Social Security email "may violate Hatch Act," and The Hill reports that the SSA and the IRS both sent emails praising Trump.
Conservative0 outlets
Outlets on this side gave the story little coverage.
Which side made the stronger case?
All sources: 4 articles from 4 outlets
Liberal (2)
Center (2)
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