Anti-Woke Caucus Chairman Jim Banks (R-IN) rebuked the Biden-Harris administration’s Navy Secretary Carlos del Toro for violating the Hatch Act and lowering standards for recruits, in a letter first obtained by Breitbart News.
“Secretary Del Toro clearly broke the law by endorsing Joe Biden and attacking Donald Trump while on an official Navy trip, and he must be held accountable for it,” Banks, a Navy veteran, said in a statement to Breitbart News.
He added, “The Navy dropped its standards lower than any of the other branches and still fell thousands of sailors short of its recruiting goal because of partisan leaders like Secretary Del Toro are more focused on campaigning for Democrats than doing their job.”
The Hatch Act limits certain political activity of federal employees while they are on duty, in the federal workplace, or acting in their official capacity. Del Toro during an official trip to the United Kingdom in January endorsed Biden in the 2024 presidential race in an interview with the BBC. The Office of the Special Trial Counsel found that he had violated the Hatch Act.
Del Toro at first argued he did not violate the Hatch Act because he was speaking to foreign media, but then later apologized and said he received additional Hatch Act training, according to United States Naval Institute News.
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Matt Perdie / Breitbart NewsHowever, Del Toro’s attorney said they have not yet heard back from the White House on any consequences for his comments and the Hatch Act violation, which could include fines, letters of reprimand, suspension, termination, or bans from federal service, according to USNI News.
Banks urged the White House to take action, and cc’ed them on his letter to Del Toro.
“Given the seriousness of the violations, the overall partisan nature of your tenure, and your initial refusal to take responsibility for your actions, I am urging the White House Office of Special Counsel to impose substantive consequences for your Hatch Act violation,” he wrote.
Banks wrote to Del Toro:
The Navy requires and deserves a leader who prioritizes military readiness and the long-term health of the Navy above political concerns. Your engagement in political activities, in direct violation of the Hatch Act, is not only a serious breach of federal regulations but also a clear indication of your misplaced priorities.
…
It is worth considering how you would have responded if a junior sailor had engaged in similar behavior. If a junior sailor had publicly engaged in partisan politics or neglected critical operational responsibilities, their actions would be met with swift and severe disciplinary measures. Such conduct would be deemed unacceptable, and the sailor would face significant consequences for failing to uphold the military’ standards of apolitical professionalism.
Your attempted defense of your Hatch Act violation, on the grounds you were speaking to a foreign news agency and thought the audience would not be Americans, was not convincing.
He added that Del Toro’s focus on politics comes at a time when the U.S. Navy is actively engaged in combat in the Red Sea, and facing down a threat from the Chinese Navy.
He wrote to the Navy secretary that his participation in politics undermines public support for the Navy and worsens the military recruiting crisis. The Navy was the only service to miss its 2024 fiscal year recruiting goals, despite it lowering recruitment standards.
Banks wrote, “[O]ver the long term, accepting lower quality recruits jeopardizes the quality of Navy personnel. I fear that this will have detrimental effects on the Navy’s operational capability and readiness for years to come and will degrade the operational excellence that the Navy has historically upheld.”
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