The Department of Education attacked Republicans and touted Biden’s political agenda in an official letter emailed to student-loan borrowers Thursday.
The letter, signed by U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, potentially violates the Hatch Act, which prohibits partisan political activity by executive branch employees. It comes after multiple federal courts blocked Biden’s illegal student loan forgiveness plan.
“In recent weeks, several federal courts have issued rulings in lawsuits brought by Republican elected officials … trying to block Americans from accessing all the benefits of the most affordable student loan repayment plan in history,” Cardona wrote. “President Biden and I are determined to lower costs for student loan borrowers … no matter how many times Republican elected officials try to stop us.”
The letter accuses Republicans of “siding with special interests” and “blocking” aid to Americans, insisting that Biden “will not stop fighting.”
Student loan forgiveness is a trademark of Biden’s presidency and 2024 reelection campaign and a frequent talking point from the White House and the campaign trail.
“My MAGA Republican friends in the Congress, elected officials, and special interests stepped in and sued us, and the Supreme Court blocked it. They blocked it. But that didn’t stop me,” Biden said in a February press conference.
But it is illegal for an executive branch employee, such as Cardona, to express partisan election sentiments in an official capacity. Biden nominated Cardona to serve as U.S. Secretary of Education in January 2021, and the Senate confirmed Cardona in March.
Hatch Act prohibitions are less stringent upon Senate-confirmed political appointees, but it remains illegal for them to participate in partisan political activity in an official capacity.
“Political activity refers to any activity directed at the success or failure of a partisan group or candidate in a partisan election,” an ethics guide from the federal government explains. “Presidentially appointed, Senate confirmed personnel (PAS) are subject to special Hatch Act rules. … They too, however, may only participate in partisan political activity in a purely personal (not official) capacity.”
Users on X expressed confusion at receiving a blatantly political email from a government agency.
“I was really confused on why this was sent to me from the Department of Education regarding my own student loans attacking Republicans,” one student loan borrower wrote. “Typically emails from the DOE is just telling [me] that I made a payment. But this was extremely political attacking Republicans.”
“Someone really messed up,” another tweeted.
The Department of Education did not immediately respond to The Federalist’s request for comment.
Monroe Harless is a summer intern at The Federalist. She is a recent graduate of the University of Georgia with degrees in journalism and political science.
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