Politico reported last week that embattled candidate Brian Fitzpatrick potentially violated the Hatch Act by allowing his brother, Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick, to make campaign calls on his behalf, while he was still employed in the FBI’s political corruption unit. Pennsylvania voters deserve answers to these questions on his possible violation of the Hatch Act.
- When did you first start reaching out to potential donors and the party to discuss a possible candidacy?
- Did you research Pennsylvania filing deadlines, or did you have assistance from a party official? Did you research deadlines during duty hours?
- Did you commission or pay for an opinion poll prior to announcing your candidacy? What did it show about your name ID and when did that happen?
- Did your brother commission or pay for an opinion poll that evaluated the prospects for a candidacy? When did that happen?
- Did you hire or contract with a strategist or any other type of political vendor before you announced? When did that happen?
- Did you receive any contribution related to a possible candidacy, even if it was not required to be reported to the FEC, prior to announcing your candidacy? When?
- Did you make any expenditure for the purpose of seeking office prior to announcing? For instance, might you have flown to a meeting of donors or party officials or spent any money on polling or for other services? If so, when?
- Did your brother or any other family member or friend ask if they could begin exploring the possibility of a campaign prior to your formal resignation? What did you tell them? What kind of activities did they perform on your behalf? When did that happen?
- When did you first form an exploratory committee to evaluate a candidacy?
- Did you ever receive or solicit contributions or support during duty hours?
- Had you ever campaigned or knocked on doors or raised funds for any political party or partisan candidate while employed by the FBI, even during personal hours?
“It’s not too much to ask that a former agent in the FBI’s Political Corruption Unit answer these straightforward questions about his potential violation of the Hatch Act. For a candidate relying almost exclusively on his last name and his time at the FBI to sweep him into office, this allegation casts serious doubt on his qualifications,” said Jermaine House of the DCCC.