{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.tillis.senate.gov/2024/8/tillis-colleagues-demand-answers-on-potential-hatch-act-violation-by-education-secretary-cardona", "Tillis, Colleagues Demand Answers on Potential Hatch Act Violation by Education Secretary Cardona", "2024-08-05", "2024", "2024-08", "Republican", "Senate", "NC", "Thom Tillis", "T000476", "www.tillis.senate.gov", "tillis", "https://www.tillis.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) recently sent a letter to Department of Education Inspector General Sandra D. Bruce calling on her to investigate Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona over a potential violation of theHatch Act and other federal laws. Secretary Cardona recently sent a letter to student loan borrowers regarding the Biden-Harris administration\u2019s student loan bailout scheme which included partisan attacks against Republicans.\n\n\u201cIn July, U.S. Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona sent an official letter to student loan borrowers regarding the Biden-Harris administration\u2019s Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan. The letter, which was sent from an official Department email account, displayed the Secretary\u2019s name in the \u2018from\u2019 line, and contained his handwritten signature, was overtly political and may violate Department policy and various federal laws,\u201dthe senators wrote.\n\n\u201cAs you know, theHatch Act prohibits federal employees from \u2018us[ing] [their] official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with or affecting the result of an election.\u2019 According to OSC guidance, this limitation on political activity includes \u201cactivity directed at the success or failure of a political party. \u2018Likewise, theAnti-Lobbying Act prohibits the unauthorized use of taxpayer funds \u2018to influence in any manner . . . an official of any government\u2019 to favor or oppose any law or policy. The Purpose Statute prohibits the use of appropriated funds on any object other than those \u2018for which the appropriations were made except as otherwise provided by law.\u2019 Finally, theAnti-Deficiency Act prohibits the expenditure of unappropriated taxpayer dollars,\u201dthe senators continued.\n\n\u201cThe Biden-Harris administration should not use taxpayer dollars for transparently political attacks on Republicans. As we are now in the midst of a presidential election, we appreciate your prompt attention to this matter and request interim updates on the status of your investigation,\u201dthe senators concluded.\n\nText of the full letter is availableHERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:36:13Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.tillis.senate.gov/2024/8/tillis-colleagues-demand-answers-on-potential-hatch-act-violation-by-education-secretary-cardona"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7911259308457375, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}