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February 15, 2025

Cabinet officials attend Mar-a-Lago fundraisers amid Hatch Act concerns

Constitution Congress
history.house.gov
Office of Special Counsel
Office of Special Counsel
Office of Special Counsel
+8

Taxpayer-funded positions mix with partisan politics at presidential resort

The Hatch Act of 1939 prohibits federal employees from using their official positions for political activities, ensuring taxpayer-funded government serves the public rather than partisan interests (osc.gov Services/Pages/HatchAct.aspx).

Mar-a-Lago charges between $200,000 and $300,000 for large political fundraising events, plus additional fees for catering, security, and room rentals (The Washington Post, “Mar-a-Lago Event Pricing Investigation”).

Mar-a-Lago fundraisers cost at least $10,000 per ticket, creating preferential access for wealthy donors and undermining equal representation (Political Access and Inequality Study, Cambridge University Press).

📜Constitutional Law✊Civil Rights

Test Your Knowledge

10
Q1

What year was the Hatch Act originally passed?

Q2

What federal law prohibits government employees from engaging in political activities while on duty?

Q3

Cabinet members can attend political fundraisers if they pay their own way.

Q4

What federal agency investigates Hatch Act violations?

Q5

Name the Florida resort where Trump hosts political fundraisers.

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People, bills, and sources

Albert B. Fall (Secretary of the Interior, 1921

1923) – accepted bribes in the Teapot Dome scandal, prompting stronger ethics rules on mixing public office and private gain (National Archives, “Teapot Dome Scandal History”).

Donald J. Trump (President)

owner of Mar-a-Lago, which generated at least $200,000 per political event while he remained in office, raising Emoluments Clause concerns (congress.gov essay on Art. II, Sec. 1, Cl. 7).

What you can do

1

Submit a Hatch Act violation complaint through the Office of Special Counsel by following the procedures on the OSC website (https://osc.gov/Services/Pages/HatchAct-Process.aspx).

2

Review federal restrictions on political activity by consulting the Hatch Act guidance at https://osc.gov/Services/Pages/HatchAct-PoliticalActivity.aspx.

3

Examine the constitutional prohibition on official payments via the Emoluments Clause explanation at https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII_S1_C7_1/.