Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins is being investigated by the Justice Department’s inspector general. She is being looked at over possible Hatch Act violations along with allegedly using a personal cell phone to conduct official business.
According to the Associated Press, this will be the second time an investigation was started focusing on potential wrongdoing by the Democrat attorney since she took the office less than a year ago.
The fate of Rollins will likely be decided by the one who nominated her, President Joe Biden. This is after the pending investigation is finished. If she is found to have violated the Hatch Act, she would be removed from federal employment.
According to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, the purpose of the Hatch Act is “to ensure that federal programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion, to protect federal employees from political coercion in the workplace, and to ensure that federal employees are advanced based on merit and not based on political affiliation.”
Rollins was confirmed in December of 2021 with the help of a tie-breaking vote from Vice President Kamala Harris. She is now a high-ranking law enforcement official and the top prosecutor in Massachusetts. She was a controversial pick for the position because of her opposition to prosecuting certain types of criminals. And she appeared at a Democratic National Committee fundraiser with first lady Jill Biden in Andover, Massachusetts, on July 7.
Most experts agreed that with all the political division in the country right now, it would have been better for her not to have accompanied the First Lady to such a partisan event.
Donald Sherman, vice president of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, said that it was fine to attend a fundraiser but they can’t use their office or government resources to do it. But Rollins reportedly drove up to the event in a car with U.S. government plates during normal business hours.
Rollins claimed on Twitter — where she identifies as a “Justice Warrior” and “Glass Ceiling Demolisher” — that she had “approval to meet Dr. Biden,” but didn’t specify who had given her approval.
I wasn’t asked for a comment before this ran. It’s almost as if the Herald didn’t want to know I had approval to meet Dr. Biden & left early to speak at 2 community events last night 🤔 Alas, back to keeping Boston & MA Part 1 crime ⬇️ Nice try though. https://t.co/wpVCUUdsev
— DA Rachael Rollins (@DARollins) July 15, 2022
