ONDCP Personnel Dispatched to Help Elect Republicans

Rep. Henry Waxman seems to have found some damning emails indicating that members of the Office of National Drug Control Policy were sent across the country to announce grants and make public appearances in congressional districts where Republican congressional candidates needed a boost.

If so, it would be a clear violation of the Hatch Act, which prohibits the use of federal resources in a political campaign. The federal government has (inexplicably) exempted federal officials from the Hatch Act when it comes to lobbying to overturn state efforts at legalization. But it certainly doesn't exempt them from using the office to boost the campaign of drug-war-friendly congressional candidates.

One other telling part of the find is this passage in an email from ONDCP White House liaison Douglas Simon:

The Director and the Deputies deserve the most recognition because they actually had to give up time with their families for the god awful places we sent them.

Here's a list of those "god-awful" places. Wonder how the residents of these (mostly) Red State districts feel about a White House political appointee describing their communities in such terms?

Thanks to Tom Angel for the tip.