White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was booted from a Virginia restaurant because she works for President Donald Trump.
Sarah Sanders' use of her official government Twitter account to criticise a restaurant for asking her to leave is a "clear violation" of federal ethics laws, a top former government watchdog charges.
Walter Shaub, who was the director of Office of Government Ethics for five years, wrote on Twitter that the White House press secretary violated federal rules by using her official account for her personal beef with the Red Hen restaurant.
"Sarah, I know you don't care even a tiny little bit about the ethics rules, but using your official account for this is a clear violation of 5 CFR 2635.702(a)," he tweeted on Saturday.
Shaub was referring to a section of the law that says government employees can't use their public position for private gain.
"It's the same as if an ATF agent pulled out his badge when a restaurant tried to throw him/her out," Shaub explained.
Sanders took to Twitter Saturday morning to slam the Red Hen restaurant saying: "Last night I was told by the owner of The Red Hen in Lexington, VA to leave because I work for @POTUS and I politely left.
"Her actions say far more about her than about me. I always do my best to treat people, including those I disagree with, respectfully and will continue to do so."
Last night I was told by the owner of Red Hen in Lexington, VA to leave because I work for @POTUS and I politely left. Her actions say far more about her than about me. I always do my best to treat people, including those I disagree with, respectfully and will continue to do so
Sanders did not respond to the DailyMail.com's request for comment on the charge her tweet violated government ethics.
Shaub also explained Sanders' tweet could be interpreted as coercion.
"Sanders used her official Govt account to condemn a private business for personal reasons. Seeks to coerce business by using her office to get public to pressure it," he wrote.
That section of government code forbids an employee from using "his public office for his own private gain, for the endorsement of any product, service or enterprise".
A government staffer also cannot use "his public office in a manner that is intended to coerce or induce another, including a subordinate, to provide any benefit, financial or otherwise," the code reads.
Also, staff cannot use their title or position to "endorse any product, service or enterprise".
Ian Bassin, a former associate White House counsel under President Barack Obama, agreed.
"When I was a WH lawyer we trained all staff they couldn't use their WH titles or resources (like Twitter act) for personal uses like making restaurant reservations or promoting businesses. So yes, this tweet violates federal ethics rules. I'm sure Don McGahn will remind " he wrote on Twitter.
When I was a WH lawyer we trained all staff they couldn’t use their WH titles or resources (like Twitter acct) for personal uses like making restaurant reservations or promoting businesses. So yes, this tweet violates federal ethics rules. I’m sure Don McGahn will remind her. https://t.co/2t2JCVb5B7
Shaub, who had previously clashed with Trump over the president's business interests, resigned last year, leaving office nearly six months before the end of his term.
He frequently criticises the Trump administration and called on another Trump spokeswoman, White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway, to be fired for violating the Hatch Act.
And a major civil rights advocate said Sanders should have been left to dine.
Democratic representative Elijah Cummings said the restaurant owner should have served Sanders.
"I think, as far as the restaurant incident, I think the restaurant owner should have served her," said Cummings, the ranking member on the House Oversight Committee, on CBS' Face the Nation."I really do. But, this tone is horrible. But again, I think President [Donald] Trump has created this."
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Photo / AP
Stephanie Wilkinson, the owner of The Red Hen, revealed why she refused to serve the White House press secretary.
Wilkinson said she took a staff vote before asking Sanders to leave. When they voted to boot her out, Wilkinson complied.
"Tell me what you want me to do. I can ask her to leave. They said 'yes'," Wilkinson told the Washington Post.
Wilkinson said the chef at the Red Hen called her around 8pm to report Sanders had arrived at the small farm-to-table restaurant.
After she arrived and saw Sanders and company dining on a cheese board, she halted the workers in the kitchen, who were preparing the party's main course, to ask them how they felt.
Some of the restaurant workers identify as gay while others prefer to remain non political in the work space.
Wilkinson said she bore in mind the Trump administration's agenda to ban transgender people from entering the military and his zero-tolerance policy that separated migrant families at the border in taking her poll.
The Red Hen Restaurant in downtown Lexington, Va. Photo / AP
She added that Lexington is a small blue town that voted against Trump.
Wilkinson said the other members of her party were welcome to stay, but they followed Sanders as she left.
"They offered to pay. I said, 'No. It's on the house'," Wilkinson said.
Since the incident the Yelp page for The Red Hen has been inundated with one and five star reviews from people on both sides of the political spectrum, bringing the restaurant's score down to 2.5 stars.
Meanwhile, an unaffiliated restaurant with the same name in Washington D.C., has also been caught in the crossfire and is distancing itself from the scandal.
