Letter to the Hon. Ryan McCarthy, Secretary of the Army - congressman Mo Brooks: U.S. Army Must Prosecute & Fire Redstone Arsenal Army Personnel Who Illegally Used Government Resources to Distribute Political Propaganda Claiming "Make America Great Again" & "Celebration of Columbus Day" Constitute White Supremacy

Letter

Dear Secretary McCarthy:

It has come to my attention that earlier this week, as part of Operation Inclusion, an official invitation to an Army Listening Session with a Headquarters, Department of the Army (HDQA) Inclusion Advisory Team was sent to Department of Defense uniform and civilian personnel and, perhaps, even Department of Defense contractors in the private sector. Appallingly, the invitation included an overtly political Army document, which included a chart stating that the phrase "Make America Great Again" or "Celebrating Columbus Day" or "Calling the Police on Black People" or using the phrase "All Lives Matter" or "Denying White Privilege" (among many, many other things) constitutes "white supremacy" and, therefore, racism!

The federal Office of Special Counsel has issued guidance declaring use of the phrase "Make America Great Again" as political activity.[1] Conversely, attacking the phrase "Make America Great Again" is similarly political activity barred by the Hatch Act. Distribution of materials with the phrase, on federal property or using government material, is a violation of the Hatch Act (P.L. 76-252), which applies to all DoD civilian employees, Reservists, and members of the National Guard.[2] Additionally, as guidance from the Office of Special Counsel makes clear, distributing items with the term "Make America Great Again"[3], whether in support of or opposition to President Trump's reelection campaign "would constitute political activity if tied to candidates or political parties."[4]

As you may also be aware, DoD Directive 1344.10, on Political Activities by Members of the Armed Forces, specifically states in section 4.1.2, that "a member of the Armed Forces on active duty shall not:"… use official authority or influence to interfere with an election, affect the course or outcome of an election, solicit votes for a particular candidate or issue, or require or solicit political contributions from others."[5]

The U.S. Army's use of a graphic that claims "Make America Great Again" (among many other things) constitutes "white supremacy" and, thus, racism, in a clearly marked Army product distributed to U.S. Army uniform and civilian personnel working on or for Redstone Arsenal (a major U.S. military base) using an official email account is in violation of the law, federal regulations, and DoD Directives.

Therefore, I respectfully request the following information:

1. Who within the Department of the Army is responsible for the creation of the flyer/brochure and email?

2. Who within the Department of the Army approved the flyer/brochure and email?

3. Pursuant to the creation, approval, and distribution of the flyer/brochure and email,

was there a violation of either the Hatch Act or DoD Directive 1344.10?

4. If a violation of the Hatch Act or DoD Directive 1344.10 is found to have occurred (a violation seems pretty obvious), will those responsible be held accountable for their actions?

5. If it is found that a violation occurred, how will those federal employees be held accountable for their illegal conduct?

Listening sessions, as means to check the pulse of the workforce and to foster communication among managers and employees, can be appropriate. Including overtly political materials in the invitation for such an event is completely inappropriate and, in this instance and in my view, illegal. Further, the inclusion of such materials serves only to ostracize segments of the workforce and create racial division, rather than minimize it. What occurred is absolutely unacceptable, and I expect Army leadership to fully investigate whether this incident violated the Hatch Act or any Department of Defense regulation and to appropriately hold those responsible accountable to the fullest extent possible.

There are better ways to accomplish this mission of Operation Inclusion without demonizing and asserting that those who support President Trump are "White Supremacists" and, therefore, racists. By including such outlandish propaganda in Army documents, the Army will only continue to sow divisions among their workforce.

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