
The Hatch act is intended to prevent public officials from becoming involved in elections.
A Florida sheriff, Mike Scott, was charged with violating this act when he, dressed in his Sheriffs Chief uniform, spoke to 9,000 people at a Republican rally for Sarah Palin. He brought up Barack Hussein Obama with an emphasis on Hussein hoping to invoke a tie to terrorism and fear.
Erica Hamrick, deputy chief of the Hatch Act Unit said that The U.S office of Special Counsel Says that Scott did violate the Hatch Act but closed the case when she thought the federal board that rules on these matters may not rule in the Special Counsels favor.
The Florida Commission of Ethics could have investigated Scott for corruptly using his office for gain. They choose not to investigate the complaints.
Some also are questioning whether Scott violated the county code of ethics. The statute says no county government employees are allowed to wear any uniform or clothing that would identify them as such while engaging in a political campaign not sponsored by the county, even if they are off-duty. But the sheriff, according to Sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Larry King, is not considered an employee of the county — he is an elected official. His budget (Pay check) is approved by the county, but he answers to the governor and to his constituents.
Sheriff Scott said "This official closure is my second vindication.....The first was on Inauguration Day when our president put his hand on the bible and took the oath with the exact same name I mentioned in my speech."
Sheriff Scott said this 6 days later about an officer he fired. "It is always regrettable to part company with members on unfavorable terms; however, our standards remain high and our tolerance for wrongdoing low." The officer was fired for downloading porn on his office computer, not illegal but is against sheriff office policies. What Scott did is also wrong, legaly wrong, but the Sheriff gets away with it.
WTF! Scott, It must be nice to be a Republican in a Republican county in a Republican state. Double standards X 3.
Steve




