A California Republican lawmaker on Wednesday formally requested an investigation to determine whether White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel’s involvement in the Democratic Senate primary race in Pennsylvania violated federal laws.
“Rahm Emanuel was leveraging the power and access of his official position to advance the political interests of the Democratic Party,” Rep. Darrell Issa, ranking Republican on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Ranking, said in a four-page letter to William Reukauf, acting special counsel for the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, designated to investigate potential violations of the Hatch Act, which strictly limits partisan activities by federal employees.
Earlier this year, the White House acknowledged that Mr. Emanuel enlisted former President Bill Clinton to discuss with Rep. Joe Sestak whether he would consider dropping out of the primary against White House-backed incumbent Sen. Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania Democrat, in exchange for a nonpaying post on an administration advisory board. Mr. Sestak declined the offer last summer and defeated Mr. Specter in the primary last month.
The White House’s top lawyers insist that no laws were broken in the discussions, but they have found themselves on the defensive in a second case in Colorado, where another Democratic challenger claimed he had discussed a job with administration officials as he prepared a primary challenge in another Senate race.
Mr. Issa has been among Republican leaders on Capitol Hill who repeatedly have called for an investigation over whether the political wheeling and dealing crossed over the legal line.
He also has asked Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. to appoint a Justice Department special prosecutor to investigate the matter. Mr. Holder has not followed up on the request.
Provisions of the 1939 Hatch Act restrict federal officials from using their official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with or affecting the result of an election.
A spokeswoman for the Office of Special Counsel said she could not comment on whether the agency is conducting an investigation or plans to act on Mr. Issa’s request.
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