Cabinet Officials on the Campaign Trail? Ethics Experts Say Some Are Breaking the Law. NYT > Top Stories By: Karoun Demirjian 29 October 2026 at 02:35 As Trump officials stump for Republican candidates facing difficult races, ethics experts say they are being lax about complying with the Hatch Act, a federal anti-corruption law. Β© Doug Mills/The New York TimesPresident Trump with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick at a campaign rally in North Carolina this month.