Call for investigation of raid on Ilan Omar’s home: ‘This is the textbook case’ of violating the Hatch Act

Call for investigation of raid on Ilan Omar’s home: ‘This is the textbook case’ of violating the Hatch Act

The New York Times reports:

The president on Tuesday suggested on social media that Ms. Omar had engaged in fraud to make millions of dollars. He also suggested she had engaged in immigration fraud. “America wants answers, and we want them, NOW!” he said.

Randall D. Eliason, a former federal prosecutor and retired law professor, said that the Trump Justice Department had so eroded trust that it had “sort of forfeited the right to a presumption of regularity,” a legal term for federal judges assuming prosecutors are acting in good faith.

“With all of the other things they have done to politicize the department and use its power to go after the president’s enemies,” he continued, “it certainly looks extremely suspicious. But without seeing the search warrant affidavit, you can’t say for certain.”

Norman L. Eisen, a lawyer who has repeatedly sued the Trump administration in recent months, announced on social media on Tuesday that a nonprofit group he works for had requested an investigation into whether administration officials violated the Hatch Act by “orchestrating” the search of Ms. Omar’s home. The request was made to the Office of the Special Counsel, which oversees enforcement of the Hatch Act, a law that puts limits on the political activities of federal employees.

“Officials can’t use criminal power to affect an election,” Mr. Eisen wrote. “This is the textbook case.” [Continue reading…]

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