Obama won’t punish HUD secretary for election law violation

A government report has concluded that statements made by HUD secretary Julian Castro violated election rules – but he won’t face any discipline from the White House

President Obama won’t discipline the head of Housing and Urban Development for violating election law, according to a report from The Hill.

HUD Secretary Julian Castro made personal political statements during an interview in April. The U.S. Office of Special Counsel released a report this week concluding that Castro had violated the Hatch Act by sharing he personal political views on presidential candidates including Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, according to The Hill.

“Secretary Castro’s statements during the interview impermissibly mixed his personal political views with official agency business, despite his efforts to clarify that some answers were being given in his personal capacity,” the OSC report stated.

But Castro – who acknowledged and apologized for the violation – won’t face any punishment from the administration.

“I think, to his credit, Secretary Castro acknowledged the mistake that he made,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said. “He owned up to it, and he’s taken the necessary steps to prevent it from happening again. I think that’s the expectation that people have when you make a mistake, particularly in a situation like this.”

During the interview, Castro – whose name has been mentioned as a possible Democratic VP – called Trump unprepared to be president and expressed his support for Clinton, The Hill reported.