COMMENTARY: Obama's Failure to Terminate Sebelius for Violating Hatch Act Could Cost Him Re-Election

The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) revealed this week that Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius violated the Hatch Act when she publicly endorsed President Barack Obama's re-election during a taxpayer-funded public event on February 25, 2012.

Violating the Hatch Act is a federal crime -- and mandates that the offender be terminated from government employment.

However, the White House -- in response to the OSC's revelation -- said, "The U.S. Treasury has been reimbursed, and Secretary Sebelius has met with ethics experts to ensure this never happens again."

In other words, President Obama has decided to give Sebelius a weak "slap on the wrist" instead of terminating her, as he is required to do by the Hatch Act.

We believe that President Obama needs to terminate Sebelius as HHS secretary, in order to comply with the Hatch Act that she has violated. Otherwise, the Hatch Act becomes a mockery that can be ignored when it is violated by a strong supporter of a president.

As Dan Epstein -- president of the government watchdog group Cause of Action -- said, President Obama "has decided to overlook the improper political activities of his appointees when in their official capacities. He has effectively said it is OK to politicize the executive branch."

Indeed, failing to terminate Sebelius as HHS secretary may have a significant negative impact on President Obama's chances of re-election.

With the presidential election just two months away, you can be sure that the Republicans will take advantage of President Obama's refusal to terminate Sebelius -- as required by the Hatch Act -- and this serious neglect of presidential action may well be the deciding factor of whether or not Barack Obama is re-elected president.