Five years after a federal watchdog found senior Trump administration officials violated the Hatch Act during the 2020 Republican National Convention, several Cabinet members are again stepping onto the convention stage to rally GOP voters ahead of the midterms.
At the party's gathering in Dallas, administration officials were introduced without their government titles—a notable shift from standard practice and a sign they are trying to stay within the bounds of the law, which bars most federal employees from engaging in partisan political activity in their official capacity.
Richard Painter, who served as chief White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush, has long argued the Hatch Act is a “charade” that fails to deter political activity by appointees. “It’s an invitation to trouble when half the time they wear their personal hat, half the time they wear their official hat,” he said.
On the first night of the convention, Attorney General Todd Blanche, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, and Medicare chief Mehmet Oz all addressed the crowd. Bessent and Rollins were introduced as “the honorable,” while Oz was described as a “trusted physician, author, educator and television personality.” Blanche received no introduction at all.
Scott Coffina, who served as associate counsel to President George W. Bush, said using “the honorable” instead of an official title is a common workaround. “That’s how you address it when you’re trying to avoid a Hatch Act problem,” he said. “So, I think that they were certainly mindful of it.”
The speeches focused on President Trump’s achievements and warned of the consequences if Democrats prevail, but officials stopped short of discussing their agencies’ work in detail. Painter noted that if they delved into their agencies’ operations, “that’s a big problem.” He added that expressing personal views on policy is acceptable, but extensive discussion of official duties crosses the line.
Blanche’s appearance drew particular criticism. Former Attorney General Eric Holder called it “unprecedented” and “disgraceful” before the speech. The Justice Department defended the move, posting on social media that Blanche’s appearance in his personal capacity “is legal (and has been approved by ethics).” The post was a response to a complaint from House Judiciary Democrats.
Blanche’s remarks were brief, centering on the administration’s immigration enforcement. Coffina said that while it is “obviously unconventional” for an attorney general to speak at a political event, “that doesn’t make it a violation if they do. And I just think he toed the line.”
Painter argued that Blanche’s appearance is not itself a violation but is “symbolic that they’re willing to cast aside precedence.” He noted that Hatch Act violations have occurred under both parties, including the Obama, Biden, and both Trump administrations. “Every administration goes through it, but the Trump administration has an attitude toward the rules, that the rules don’t apply to them, so it’s worse,” he said.
In 2021, the Office of Special Counsel found 13 senior Trump officials had violated the Hatch Act during the 2020 campaign. Those individuals had already left office, and the law has no enforcement mechanism once an official departs. The list included the former press secretary, chief of staff, and national security adviser.
Coffina said enforcement has “really become relaxed” over the years. “The ultimate enforcer at the Cabinet level with a presidential appointee is the president,” he said. “So, if he decides to let it go, or sets a tone that it doesn’t matter, or that he’s going to have a high threshold for it … and that’s the pattern of the last three administrations.”
Painter has repeatedly called for reform, testifying before Congress that political appointees should be barred from partisan politics while in office. But he doubts change will come because lawmakers are unlikely to support reform when their party controls the White House. “Voters have got to get fed up and they have to say they want ethics in Washington,” he said.
