• Home
  • Opinion
  • Quizzes
  • Redistricting
  • Sections
  • About Us
  • Voting
  • Independent Voter News
  • Campaign Finance
  • Civic Ed
  • Directory
  • Election Dissection
  • Events
  • Fact Check
  • Glossary
  • News
  • Analysis
  • Subscriptions
  • Log in
Leveraging Our Differences
  • news & opinion
    • Big Picture
      • Civic Ed
      • Ethics
      • Leadership
      • Leveraging big ideas
      • Media
    • Business & Democracy
      • Corporate Responsibility
      • Impact Investment
      • Innovation & Incubation
      • Small Businesses
      • Stakeholder Capitalism
    • Elections
      • Campaign Finance
      • Independent Voter News
      • Redistricting
      • Voting
    • Government
      • Balance of Power
      • Budgeting
      • Congress
      • Judicial
      • Local
      • State
      • White House
    • Justice
      • Accountability
      • Anti-corruption
      • Budget equity
    • Columns
      • Beyond Right and Left
      • Civic Soul
      • Congress at a Crossroads
      • Cross-Partisan Visions
      • Democracy Pie
      • Our Freedom
  • Pop Culture
      • American Heroes
      • Ask Joe
      • Celebrity News
      • Comedy
      • Dance, Theatre & Film
      • Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
      • Faithful & Mindful Living
      • Music, Poetry & Arts
      • Sports
      • Technology
      • Your Take
      • American Heroes
      • Ask Joe
      • Celebrity News
      • Comedy
      • Dance, Theatre & Film
      • Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
      • Faithful & Mindful Living
      • Music, Poetry & Arts
      • Sports
      • Technology
      • Your Take
  • events
  • About
      • Mission
      • Advisory Board
      • Staff
      • Contact Us
Sign Up

Brian Johnson, Medill School

    FollowUnfollowFollowing
    Balance of Power

    Claim: Pompeo’s convention speech violated federal law. Fact check: True

    Brian Johnson, Medill School
    August 28, 2020
    Claim: Pompeo’s convention speech violated federal law. Fact check: True

    Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's full speech at the Republican National Convention

    Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speech's on Tuesday at the Republican National Convention was unprecedented. No prior sitting secretary of state had given a speech at a party convention. Diplomats and federal employees have typically stayed away from partisan activity and there are rules in place that prevent federal employees from being involved in partisan politics. The Hatch Act, passed in 1939, prohibits all federal employees — except the president and vice president — from engaging in various partisan political activities. For example, the law states that federal employees cannot "use their official authority or influence to interfere with or affect the result of an election." Pompeo did not refer to himself as secretary of state in the video, but he did record the video during an official visit to Israel.

    Since Pompeo is part of the National Security Council, he is subject to further restrictions. Such federal employees who have more restrictions cannot "take an active part in partisan political campaigns, by, for example: Campaigning for or against a candidate or slate of candidates. Making campaign speeches or engaging in other campaign activities to elect partisan candidates." Pompeo violated both of these restrictions.

    Keep ReadingShow less
    balance of power

    Join an Upcoming Event

    View All Events
    Voting

    Claim: Universal mail-in voting has led to widespread voter fraud. Fact check: False

    Brian Johnson, Medill School
    August 27, 2020
    President Donald Trump
    Brian Blanco/Getty Images
    For our Country to be sending 80 million UNSOLICITED BALLOTS is very unfair and a roadmap to disaster. Even recent… https://t.co/MpUNdOGfud
    — Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1598363396.0

    Nine states and Washington, D.C., will mail ballots directly to voters (what is known as universal mail-in voting), accounting for 44 million voters — half of President Trump's claim. Several states, including Colorado, Nevada and Washington have conducted primary elections in which ballots were mailed to all eligible voters. In Nevada some ballots were rejected largely because they were not properly filled out, but there were no reports of widespread voter fraud in those states

    Keep ReadingShow less
    vote by mail
    Get some Leverage Sign up for The Fulcrum Newsletter
    Confirm that you are not a bot.
    ×
    Follow
    Get some Leverage Sign up for The Fulcrum Newsletter
    Confirm that you are not a bot.
    ×
    Follow

    Support Democracy Journalism; Join The Fulcrum

    The Fulcrum daily platform is where insiders and outsiders to politics are informed, meet, talk, and act to repair our democracy and make it live and work in our everyday lives. Now more than ever our democracy needs a trustworthy outlet

    Contribute
    Contributors

    Our shared humanity and collective responsibility

    Jenn Hoos Rothberg

    The conservative mind at 70

    Michael Lucchese

    Fulcrum Rewind: How to get along at Thanksgiving

    Debilyn Molineaux
    David L. Nevins

    How reforming felony murder laws can reduce juvenile justice harms

    Margaret Mikulski

    What if neither party can govern?

    John Opdycke

    The case for the 4th, from a part-time American

    Flora Roy
    latest News

    Don’t soundproof your heart

    Tim Shriver
    57m

    A new case for electoral reform

    Reinhold Ernst
    1h

    Podcast: Dr. F Willis Johnson in rich conversation with Steve Lawler

    Lennon Wesley III
    21h

    Ranked choice voting won election day 2023

    Ashley Houghton
    Deb Otis
    21h

    Could George Santos torch the House by vacating the Speaker

    Kevin R. Kosar
    21h

    Slovakia’s election deep fakes show how AI could be a danger to U.S. elections

    David Levine
    Louis Savoia
    28 November
    Videos
    Who is the new House Speaker Rep. Mike Johnson?

    Who is the new House Speaker Rep. Mike Johnson?

    Our Staff
    Video: Jordan bully tactics backfire, provoke threats and harassment of fellow Republicans

    Video: Jordan bully tactics backfire, provoke threats and harassment of fellow Republicans

    Our Staff
    Video Rewind: Reflection on Indigenous Peoples' Day with Rev. F. Willis Johnson

    Video Rewind: Reflection on Indigenous Peoples' Day with Rev. F. Willis Johnson

    Our Staff
    Video: The power of young voices

    Video: The power of young voices

    Our Staff
    Video: Expert baffled by Trump contradicting legal team

    Video: Expert baffled by Trump contradicting legal team

    Our Staff
    Video: Do white leaders hinder black aspirations?

    Video: Do white leaders hinder black aspirations?

    Our Staff
    Podcasts

    Podcast: Dr. F Willis Johnson in rich conversation with Steve Lawler

    Lennon Wesley III
    21h

    Podcast: Dr. F. Willis Johnson in a rich conversation with Patrick McNeal

    Our Staff
    14 November

    Podcast: Better choices, better elections

    Our Staff
    23 October

    Podcast: Are state legislators really accountable to their voters?

    Our Staff
    06 October
    Recommended
    Don’t soundproof your heart

    Don’t soundproof your heart

    Big Picture
    Our shared humanity and collective responsibility

    Our shared humanity and collective responsibility

    Big Picture
    A new case for electoral reform

    A new case for electoral reform

    Big Picture
    Podcast: Dr. F Willis Johnson in rich conversation with Steve Lawler

    Podcast: Dr. F Willis Johnson in rich conversation with Steve Lawler

    Podcasts
    Ranked choice voting won election day 2023

    Ranked choice voting won election day 2023

    Big Picture
    Could George Santos torch the House by vacating the Speaker

    Could George Santos torch the House by vacating the Speaker

    Big Picture