White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre violated a law intended to prevent federal employees from using their offices to influence elections when she repeatedly referred to “mega MAGA Republicans” in the run-up to the 2022 midterms, a government watchdog agency said.

In a letter first shared with NBC News, the Office of Special Counsel determined that Jean-Pierre’s choice of words in referring to Republican candidates violated the Hatch Act.

“Because Ms. Jean‐Pierre made the statements while acting in her official capacity, she violated the Hatch Act prohibition against using her official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with or affecting the result of an election,” Ana Galindo‐Marrone, who leads the agency’s Hatch Act Unit, wrote in a letter Wednesday.

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At a White House briefing on Nov. 2, Jean-Pierre referred to “mega MAGA Republican officials who don’t believe in the rule of law” and made other comments disparaging Republican candidates, according to a Hatch Act complaint the conservative watchdog group Protect the Public’s Trust filed against Jean-Pierre in November.

The group called Jean-Pierre’s remarks “an inappropriate attempt to influence the vote.”

Read more: NBC