Who Is Dan Scavino? Trump Aide Accused Of Violating Hatch Act Hits Back At Critics

President Donald Trump’s social media director and adviser Dan Scavino Jr. found himself at the center of a scandal after a tweet from his account led to allegations that he was violating federal law.

Scavino has been at the receiving end of criticism after he said Saturday that Michigan Rep. Justin Amash, a Republican member of the House Freedom Caucus, was a “liability” that must be defeated in the next primaries.

The Republican lawmaker is one of the few members of the party that have been open about their criticism of the president. The House Freedom Caucus’ disapproval of the Trump administration’s alternative to Obamacare was also one of the major reasons for its derailment last month.

Scavino’s call for Amash’s defeat in the next primaries, according to former government lawyers, was in violation of the Depression-era Hatch Act, which keeps government officials from using their position to sway elections.

Scavino, however, said these allegations hold no ground as the “ethics lawyers” making them have a bias against the Trump administration.

Richard Painter, a chief White House ethics lawyer during former President George W. Bush’s time in office, said the Trump administration must take immediate action against Scavino. He called the Office of Special Counsel, which is a federal investigative agency, to urge an action against the Trump aide.

According to the agency, government officials may not engage in political activity on social media while on duty or in their official capacity. Painter said Scavino was guilty of violating this law as he used his Twitter account, which uses his White House photo and official title.

Daniel Jacobson, a lawyer under former President Barack Obama, also took to Twitter to point out Scavino’s alleged violation of the Hatch Act with a series of tweets explaining how the use of a “de facto” government Twitter account made Scavino guilty.