Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue was found to have violated the Hatch Act in August by encouraging voters to support President Trump at an event to promote the Farmers to Families Food Box Program.
In a Thursday letter from the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, Perdue was ordered to reimburse the government for a trip to Mills River, N.C., where he was set to promote the new initiative, which used coronavirus aid to deliver food to low income people as farmers’ markets were disrupted.
At the event, which was attended by Trump, Perdue said people lined up along the motorcade route were “part of those forgotten people that voted for you for 2016.”
“And I’ve got better news for you: They and many others are going to vote for you for four more years in 2020. Because they understand, under your administration, they’ve not been forgotten. And this [Farmers to Families Food Box Program] is a great example of that.”
Purdue called the food boxes a program of “compassion” and said “that’s what’s going to continue to happen — four more years — if America gets out and votes for this man, Donald J. Trump.”
The Hatch Act bars federal employees — even Cabinet members — from engaging in political activity while at work...
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