A congressman on Tuesday wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland to demand that he fire a high-ranking attorney for violating nonpartisanship rules by running for the Loudoun County School Board as a Democrat in today’s state election.
Anne Donahue is on the ballot today in Virginia running openly as a Democrat, while she’s also employed by the DOJ — a “severe Hatch Act violation,” according to Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas).
Donahue is running for America’s most politicized school board, apparently unconcerned about possible punishment. Her boss Garland last year “sent a memo to notify officials that the DOJ would use its authority and resources to target parents at school board meetings and ‘prosecute them when appropriate,’” Jackson wrote.
Loudoun County was specifically pinpointed in the National School Boards Association letter justifying that action, which likened the father of a rape victim to a domestic terrorist for getting angry that Loudoun’s school system covered up the rape.
Donahue has seemingly executed on Garland’s message in her campaign. “On October 13, 2023, Ms. Donahue advertised a political event with Red Win & Blue Virginia, a Democrat political organization, saying, ‘Are you tired of the so-called ‘Parents Rights’ extremists attacking our kids and public education?’ The DOJ has been weaponized by the Biden administration against concerned parents at school board meetings, including labeling them as domestic terrorists,” Jackson wrote in a letter triggered by a Daily Wire investigation.
Jackson told The Daily Wire that Donahue appears to believe that she will be protected. “Apparently violating the Hatch Act has no repercussions if you are a Democrat who believes in stripping parental rights in education. Donahue exemplifies liberal privilege and the rampant weaponization of the DOJ. No doubt, she is going to do the DOJ’s bidding if elected to a ‘nonpartisan’ school board position in a district that’s a known breeding ground for wokeism,” he said.
Jackson said it was “sick” that Donahue labeled “parents who fight for their right to protect their children” as extremists. “For good measure, she also accepted cold, hard cash to her campaign from the Democratic Party of Virginia! This corrupt scheme is dangerous and must be stopped,” he added.
President Barack Obama speaks with Dr. Ronny Jackson. (White House Photo by Pete Souza)
His letter said “Donahue has blatantly run as a Democrat for the ‘non-partisan’ At-Large position on the Loudoun County School Board, asking voters to join ‘us’ at a canvassing event in Leesburg for ‘…Democrats up and down the ticket!’ Additionally, federal employees are prohibited from using government resources for partisan political activities, which includes government time, under the Hatch Act. Yet, time and time again, Ms. Donahue’s political campaign twitter has been used during normal business hours to ‘like’ and ‘repost’ partisan political events.”
If Donahue wins in today’s election, only to have the campaign ruled a Hatch Act violation, it will be another black eye for a school system that has repeatedly violated rules in pursuit of politics — culminating in the criminal conviction of its former superintendent.
It also comes at the expense of the DOJ’s credibility, Jackson said. “Federal employees using their occupations for political gain tarnishes the credibility of our political system. I request that you investigate this matter to the fullest extent, and if necessary, terminate Ms. Donahue’s employment at once,” Jackson wrote.
Donahue was previously a top lawyer with the DOJ’s National Security Division, handling FISA warrants, which were abused to partisan ends to target associates of Donald Trump.
A complaint has been filed with the Office of Special Counsel, which investigates Hatch Act violations, by a local resident, The Daily Wire has learned. OSC did not return a request for comment.