Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen has formally requested the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) to recommend the removal of Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, accusing him of violating the Hatch Act. The complaint, filed today, alleges that Cardona misused government resources for political activities related to the Biden-Harris administration’s student loan cancellation plans.
The Hatch Act prohibits federal employees from engaging in political activities while on duty or using their official positions to influence election outcomes. According to the complaint, Cardona and an unidentified spokesperson used their official roles to criticize Republican officials who successfully challenged the Department of Education’s loan forgiveness program. This, Knudsen argues, contravenes the Act’s regulations.
“The inferences are that Mr. Cardona consciously chose to use government resources for political activities, including to affect the upcoming Presidential election. Given the repeated, flagrant violations of the Hatch Act, a significant penalty is warranted,” Knudsen stated in the complaint. He urged OSC to follow previous recommendations where senior officials were removed for similar violations.
The complaint highlights two key incidents. On July 15, Cardona sent a politically charged letter to student loan borrowers, utilizing official government resources and letterhead to advocate for the administration’s policies and criticize Republican opposition. “Let me be clear: President Biden and I are determined to lower costs for student loan borrowers,” Cardona wrote in the letter.
Additionally, on July 18, a Department of Education spokesperson made statements to the media that appeared to be designed to influence the 2024 Presidential election. The spokesperson’s remarks emphasized the administration’s opposition to Republican efforts that, according to the complaint, were intended to affect electoral outcomes.
This complaint follows a lawsuit Knudsen filed in March against the Biden-Harris administration’s student loan cancellation scheme, which was subsequently halted by a federal judge in Kansas. Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach has joined Knudsen in this complaint, further intensifying scrutiny on Cardona’s actions.
The U.S. Office of Special Counsel has yet to respond to the request for Cardona’s removal.
Click here read the complaint.
By: Montana Newsroom staff
