Donald Trump has said he will not fire White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway, despite a US government oversight agency saying she should be dismissed for engaging in banned political activity while in office.

Ms Conway has violated the Hatch Act “on numerous occasions”, according to the independent Office of Special Counsel (OSC).

The act bans federal employees from engaging in political activity in the course of their work. The OSC said failure to punish her violations will send a message to other federal employees they need not abide by the act’s rules and restrictions.

The repeated violations cited by the OSC relate to several comments made by Ms Conway during the 2017 Alabama special Senate election.

The US Office of Special Counsel said Ms Conway had violated the act by “disparaging Democratic presidential candidates while speaking in her official capacity during television interviews and on social media.”

20 pictures that sum up President Trump's visit Show all 20 1 /20 20 pictures that sum up President Trump's visit 20 pictures that sum up President Trump's visit An awkward greeting As the Queen welcomed Trump to Buckingham Palace, he shared an awkward handshake with her. PA 20 pictures that sum up President Trump's visit "Oi Trump" Essex teenager Ollie Nancarrow mowed this message to Trump in a field near Stansted airport, in order that the president would be forced to see it as he came in to land. BornEco 20 pictures that sum up President Trump's visit A warm welcome Protesters gesture at the helicopter carrying the president as he arrives at Buckingham Palace on the first day of his visit. Getty 20 pictures that sum up President Trump's visit Inspecting the guard After arriving at Buckingham Palace, President Trump inspected an honour guard with Prince Charles. AP 20 pictures that sum up President Trump's visit Khan hits back After the president insulted Sadiq Khan, the London mayor, over Twitter as he landed in Britain, Khan hit back in this video released by Elle. PA 20 pictures that sum up President Trump's visit Mild reception on the Mall The Mall, the road leading to Buckingham Palace, was lacking in pomp as Trump arrived after his visit to Westminster Abbey, only a very small crowd turned out to see the spectacle. Reuters 20 pictures that sum up President Trump's visit Toast with the Queen The president shared a toast with the Queen at the state banquet on his first night in Britain. Reuters 20 pictures that sum up President Trump's visit Creepy kids This picture of Ivanka Trump and husband Jared Kushner, shared to Ivanka's Instagram, was described variously as "terrifying", like "nightmares" and "scarier than the shining." Getty 20 pictures that sum up President Trump's visit Rolling out the red carpet A red carpet was rolled out for the president's arrival to 10 Downing Street. Reuters 20 pictures that sum up President Trump's visit Meeting with May President Trump met with Prime Minister Theresa May on the second day of his visit. They did not speak privately but in a boardroom meeting. Reuters 20 pictures that sum up President Trump's visit Spouses get along First Lady Melania Trump and husband of the prime minister Philip May attended a garden party for the families of Downing Street staff while the two leaders were in their meeting. Getty 20 pictures that sum up President Trump's visit Baby blimp flies again The famous Trump baby blimp made a return in the protests against the president's visit, after first appearing in July last year. EPA 20 pictures that sum up President Trump's visit Crowd gathers A large crowd of protesters gathered in Trafalgar Square in London to protest the president's visit. Notable protesters included a man selling Donald Trump toilet paper and a man dressed as Vladimir Putin controlling a Trump puppet. PA 20 pictures that sum up President Trump's visit Protesters mix and mingle Supporters of the president and protesters of his visit clashed by Parliament Square on the second day of Trump's visit, with some supporters being hit by milkshakes. Reuters 20 pictures that sum up President Trump's visit Toilet Trump A 20ft statue of Trump tweeting while sitting on a golden toilet was placed in Trafalgar Square as protesters gather on the second day of the president's visit. Tom Batchelor / The Independent 20 pictures that sum up President Trump's visit Corbyn speaks In an address to protesters, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn accused the president of spreading "hatred" and "racism" and expressed disappointment that Sadiq Khan had "been attacked in the way he was." PA 20 pictures that sum up President Trump's visit Churchill hat During his interview with the president on Good Morning Britain, Piers Morgan gave Trump a hat of a style favoured by Winston Churchill, one of Trump's heroes. ITV 20 pictures that sum up President Trump's visit Bus stop baby Activists Special Patrol Group installed this poster in to several bus stops around Portsmouth ahead of the president's arrival for D-Day commemorations PA 20 pictures that sum up President Trump's visit Fly-past with the queen President Trump watched the Red Arrows fly-past with the Queen at an event in Portsmouth to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings AFP/Getty 20 pictures that sum up President Trump's visit Commemoration speech The president gave a speech at an event to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings. Along with Trump, the prime minister and the royal family, French president Emmanuel Macron and 300 Second World War veterans were in attendance. AFP/Getty

In the election, Democratic candidate Doug Jones defeated Republican candidate Roy Moore by a 21,924 votes – a 1.7 per cent margin. Mr Jones is the first Democrat to win a US Senate seat in Alabama since 1992.

Speaking to Fox News on Friday about the OSC’s recommendation Ms Conway should be fired, Mr Trump said: “Well I got briefed on it yesterday, and it looks to me like they’re trying to take away her right of free speech, and that’s just not fair.”

He added: “No, I’m not going to fire her,”

Ms Conway was "a terrific person" and "tremendous spokeswoman," he said. "She’s been loyal, she’s just a great person.”

Mr Trump said Ms Conway’s remarks had merely been the result of her being asked questions by interviewers during the election.

“You ask a person a question, and every time you’re supposed to say, ‘I can’t answer, I can’t answer?” Mr Trump said. “She’s got to have the right of responding to questions.”

In the OSC’s statement about its judgement of Ms Conway’s behaviour, it said: “Her actions thus erode the principal foundation of our democratic system – the rule of law.”

Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

The agency also detailed an episode in which Ms Conway appeared to knowingly choose to disregard the restrictions of the Hatch Act.

According to the OSC, she said: “If you’re trying to silence me through the Hatch Act, it’s not going to work,” and “let me know when the jail sentence starts”.