Trump: Conway's right to free speech under attack; he won't fire her

June 14 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump said Friday he won't fire White House counselor Kellyanne Conway and the accusations against her are an attempt to take away her right to free speech.

Conway was accused by the Office of the Special Counsel on Thursday of violating the Hatch Act by campaigning for and against candidates while in her capacity as a White House staffer. In a letter to Trump, the watchdog agency called for Trump to fire her.

Trump responded on Fox News' Fox and Friends on Friday saying people are entitled to free speech in the United States and this isn't a violation of the Hatch Act. He said in some cases Conway was responding to questions posed by the media.

"It looks to me like they're trying to take away her right of free speech," Trump said. "She's got the right of responding to questions ... No, I'm not going to fire her. I think she's a terrific person. She's a tremendous spokesperson. She's been loyal."

The OSC said Conway disparaged Democratic presidential candidates in television interviews and on social media. The OSC accuses Conway of multiple violations, calling her a "repeat offender" that has "shown disregard for the law."

The OSC is an independent entity not related to the FBI special counsel that led the Mueller report.

White House counsel Pat Cipollone said Conway and the White House were not given time to respond to the report. He said the social media posts and media interviews didn't violate the Hatch Act.