# Secret Service agent suspended **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 7, 2017, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-agent-suspended/779228 "2017-02-07T15:00:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-agent-suspended/779228/21 "2017-02-07T18:01:38Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Read The Hatch Act-- it’s referenced in your link. Doesn’t matter when she made the statement, as long as she was in the Secrete Service. This. All federal employees are expected to comply. Federal service is supposed to be apolitical and nonpartisan. There are many reasons, and they are valid. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-agent-suspended/779228/22 "2017-02-07T18:17:02Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > [Secret Service Agent Kerry O'Grady Investigated for Anti-Trump Remarks | Snopes.com](http://www.snopes.com/2017/01/25/secret-service-agent-anti-trump-remarks/) > > (she said she would take jail time before she took a bullet for Trump). Private citizens get to say stuff like this. Secret Service agents do not. If she said this, she should be ousted out of the Secret Service. It shows she doesn’t have the right temperament for the job. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-agent-suspended/779228/23 "2017-02-07T18:23:14Z")
I don’t know whether this violates the Hatch act (and I don’t particularly care). Based on what I presume her feelings are with respect to Trump, if I were her friend, id say that this might be what’s best for her. Maybe I’m wrong, but given losing her job in this type of high profile manner and her being a secret service agent, I’d wager she will be able to find another, more satisfying, job. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-agent-suspended/779228/24 "2017-02-07T18:28:37Z")
The question for me is, her being of this opinion, why did she not tender her resignation the moment of Trump’s inauguration? ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-agent-suspended/779228/25 "2017-02-07T18:29:47Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > The question for me is, her being of this opinion, why did she not tender her resignation the moment of Trump’s inauguration? That’s kind of what I was thinking… ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-agent-suspended/779228/26 "2017-02-07T18:45:03Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Read The Hatch Act-- it’s referenced in your link. Doesn’t matter when she made the statement, as long as she was in the Secrete Service. This made me think about how many Republicans are outraged that campaign finance laws are outrageous attacks on the First Amendment, but the Hatch Act’s prohibition on some pretty basic forms of political expression that are prohibited for some Federal employees? Eh, fuck 'em. They’re only bureaucrats. ---
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-agent-suspended/779228/27 "2017-02-07T18:45:10Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > The question for me is, her being of this opinion, why did she not tender her resignation the moment of Trump’s inauguration? Presidential details is only a small part isn’t it? She could also be assigned to Obama, Bush(es), Clinton or Carter. Plus that whole counterfeiting team. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-agent-suspended/779228/28 "2017-02-07T18:50:54Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > This made me think about how many Republicans are outraged that campaign finance laws are outrageous attacks on the First Amendment, but the Hatch Act’s prohibition on some pretty basic forms of political expression that are prohibited for some Federal employees? Eh, fuck 'em. They’re only bureaucrats. Speaking of outrage, if we’re all in agreement that the agent was an idiot, how is that any fun for our conservative posters? ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-agent-suspended/779228/29 "2017-02-07T18:59:52Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > The question for me is, her being of this opinion, why did she not tender her resignation the moment of Trump’s inauguration? I wonder if there is a severance package if she was fired as opposed to resigning. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-agent-suspended/779228/30 "2017-02-07T19:30:48Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Speaking of outrage, if we’re all in agreement that the agent was an idiot, how is that any fun for our conservative posters? ☹ Oh, right, lefties are supposed to be a hive mind that protects our own at all costs. This fired Secret Service agent should be a senator! President! Pope! Super Mecha Pope! Also, let’s ban guns. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-agent-suspended/779228/31 "2017-02-07T19:33:17Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Speaking of outrage, if we’re all in agreement that the agent was an idiot, how is that any fun for our conservative posters? ☹ We could talk about stupid tweets in general, and how they may indicate someone is not suitable for a particular job. But I fear there may not be enough of those to keep a thread going. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-agent-suspended/779228/32 "2017-02-07T19:38:40Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > This made me think about how many Republicans are outraged that campaign finance laws are outrageous attacks on the First Amendment, but the Hatch Act’s prohibition on some pretty basic forms of political expression that are prohibited for some Federal employees? Eh, fuck 'em. They’re only bureaucrats. Surely you can see that this is a non sequitur, though? If I don’t want federal workers drinking alcohol while at work, I don’t think I am a hypocrite for opposing Prohibition more generally. ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-agent-suspended/779228/33 "2017-02-07T19:48:35Z")
She should be fired. Not only is she personally unfit to protect the president, she’s putting him in danger even if she’s not on his detail. Suggesting the possibility that any Secret Service agent might not be willing to take a bullet encourages would-be assassins to try it because they might think their chances of success are higher. She shouldn’t be allowed to work for the service when she is actively undermining their mission. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-agent-suspended/779228/34 "2017-02-07T20:10:50Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > The question for me is, her being of this opinion, why did she not tender her resignation the moment of Trump’s inauguration? The Secret Service’s remit is rather broader than people seem to think. In addition to protecting the POTUS and VP, they also investigate financial crimes and protect foreign dignitaries. Mahmoud Ahmedinajad had SS protection, to use one example. So did Saddam Hussein. If they had to resign every time the agency protected someone they disliked, there wouldn’t be _any_ of them. That is not to say that this agent shouldn’t have been fired for publicly broadcasting her views. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-agent-suspended/779228/35 "2017-02-07T20:13:44Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > When you publicly declare that you won’t do your job, I can’t see how you should expect to keep it. It’s just common sense. Your thinking seems to be a holdover from the Reality Era. Kim Davis, who refused to do her job of issuing marriage licenses, is still County Clerk for Rowan County, Kentucky. ---
**Author:** ![jshore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@jshore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jshore)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2017, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-agent-suspended/779228/36 "2017-02-08T03:04:47Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > How does her statement violate the Hatch Act? Color me confused on this point too. For example, I have friends who work for various government agencies, such as NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology), NSF (National Science Foundation), … Are you, **John Mace** , saying these folks are not allowed to make political statements / endorse candidates in Facebook postings for example? I’d be rather surprised if that were the case. ---
**Author:** ![jshore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@jshore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jshore)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2017, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-agent-suspended/779228/37 "2017-02-08T03:32:45Z")
Silly of me to ask a question that can easily be answered with a simple google search. Here is a handy-dandy page expressing what federal employees can and can’t do on social media: [https://osc.gov/Pages/The-Hatch-Act-Frequently-Asked-Questions-on-Federal-Employees-and-the-Use-of-Social-Media-and-Email.aspx](https://osc.gov/Pages/The-Hatch-Act-Frequently-Asked-Questions-on-Federal-Employees-and-the-Use-of-Social-Media-and-Email.aspx) To summarize, it appears there are two classes: federal employees in general and “further restricted employees”. For the general ones: > [@](#): > > Yes, federal employees may express their opinions about a partisan group or candidate in a partisan race (e.g., post, “like,” “share,” “tweet,” “retweet”), but there are a few limitations. Specifically, the Hatch Act prohibits employees from: > > · engaging in any political activity via Facebook or Twitter while on duty or in the workplace; > > · referring to their official titles or positions while engaged in political activity at any time (note that inclusion of an employee’s official title or position on one’s social media profile, without more, is not an improper use of official authority); and > > · suggesting or asking anyone to make political contributions at any time. Thus, they should neither provide links to the political contribution page of any partisan group or candidate in a partisan race nor “like,” “share,” or “retweet” a solicitation from one of those entities, including an invitation to a political fundraising event. An employee, however, may accept an invitation to a political fundraising event from such entities via Facebook or Twitter. You can read about further restricted employees and more details and examples on that webpage. ---
**Author:** ![jshore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@jshore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jshore)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2017, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-agent-suspended/779228/38 "2017-02-08T03:52:53Z")
So, I really looked this up wondering about my friends, rather than this particular agent (whose actions were dumb…and possibly job-jeopardizing…for other reasons). But, having gone this far, I will just say: It is unclear to me if she has violated the Hatch Act or not but it seems like her statements implicitly referencing her job could be construed as violating…or maybe just skirting very, very close to…“referring to their official titles or positions while engaged in political activity at any time”. By the way, after reading the additional restrictions on “further restricted employees”, I don’t see them as very relevant to what she did…So, I think the question of whether she violated the Hatch Act would come down to the provision that I noted here. [And, like all physicists, I am eminently qualified to give legal opinions 😉] ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2017, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-agent-suspended/779228/39 "2017-02-08T05:08:51Z")
> [@thirdname](#): > > She should be fired. Not only is she personally unfit to protect the president, she’s putting him in danger even if she’s not on his detail. Suggesting the possibility that any Secret Service agent might not be willing to take a bullet encourages would-be assassins to try it because they might think their chances of success are higher. She shouldn’t be allowed to work for the service when she is actively undermining their mission. Donnie has done more to undermine the mission of the secret service than she could ever do. More dangerous and more notable. And who is he working for? ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2017, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-agent-suspended/779228/40 "2017-02-08T10:34:43Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > Donnie has done more to undermine the mission of the secret service than she could ever do. Do tell. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-agent-suspended/779228.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-agent-suspended/779228.md?page=3)