DC: A federal watchdog that investigates improper political activities by federal employees filed a formal complaint Wednesday against an immigration judge who it claims promoted former Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton’s immigration policies from the bench.
The U.S. Office of Special Counsel alleges that Carmene “Zsa-Zsa” DePaolo, an immigration judge based in Southern California, violated the Hatch Act when she praised Clinton’s immigration reform plans during a deportation hearing in March 2016. The Hatch Act is a little-enforced federal law that bars executive branch employees from using federal resources to promote political candidates, among other prohibitions.
During the hearing in question, DePaolo allegedly called the defendant’s potential 10-year ban on reentry into the U.S. a “pretty harsh thing” that Clinton would change if she won the presidency and the Senate flipped to Democratic control, according to the special counsel complaint.
“The U.S. Office of Special Counsel alleges that Carmene “Zsa-Zsa” DePaolo, an immigration judge based in Southern California, violated the Hatch Act…”
Hunh. The OSC also accused Kellyanne Conway of violating the Hatch Act. Who runs the OSC? Henry Kerner.
This is getting complicated. No, it isn’t, really. Just a bunch of empty gestures to obfuscate the deeper mission of OSC. Nothing will come of either alleged Hatch Act violation.