Julian Castro Found To Have Violated Hatch Act In Katie Couric Interview

Buzzfeed

A report prepared by the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) has found that Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro violated the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from engaging in political activity while acting in their official capacity, a source with knowledge of the report told BuzzFeed News.

Castro, the OSC found, violated the Hatch Act during an April interview with Yahoo’s Katie Couric.

In that interview, Castro discussed a new HUD policy to expand internet access to children and the difficulty of attaining housing loans. Couric then moved to the topic of Hillary Clinton’s campaign.

“Taking off my HUD hat for a second and speaking individually,” Castro began, calling Clinton the most experienced presidential candidate. He criticized Republicans for seeking to “pick and choose who gets opportunity,” saying that Muslims, immigrants, and gays are on the outside looking in with regards to Republican policy.

Responding to Couric’s question on speculation that Clinton could pick him as her vice presidential nominee, he said, “My hope is that whoever does get asked will take that decision very seriously. I don’t believe that’s going to be me.”

The Hatch Act, passed in 1939, states the report will be referred to President Obama “for appropriate action.”

The political patronage army hard at work.