State schools chief Diane Douglas used a public employee and the state email system to announce her endorsement Friday of Donald Trump.

In a brief statement, Douglas said Trump “shares my belief that the federal government’s role in education needs to be reduced rather than expanded.”

“I look forward to hearing more about his plans to empower states so that we can focus on helping our children become successful citizens of this great nation,” the statement read.

Charles Tack, the staffer who sent to release from his state computer during business hours, said neither he nor his boss did anything wrong.

“She needs to be able to communicate to the people who elected her her thoughts on an important election that’s coming up and how she thinks it could affect education,” Tack said. “I see this as letting Arizonans know where she stands on this particular issue.”

Tack said that his boss has spoken out before, in her official capacity, on a variety of education-related subjects. He said this is no different.

“The election in November, I think we can both agree, is going to have pretty major implications for education,” Tack said. “Because it does directly impact education and will, I think the superintendent wants to make sure that the public understands her views and that she sees common ground with Mr. Trump.”

Two state laws directly affect the ability of state employees and public officials to use taxpayer resources.

One says employees may not use “any official authority or influence for the purpose of influencing the vote or political action of any person.” And it specifically defines employees as including public officers.

Violations are a misdemeanor that could send someone to county jail for up to a year.

The other specifically prohibits any state agency from using public resources to influence an election. And the statute is quite inclusive, including “computer hardware and software, web pages and personnel and any other thing of value of the public entity.”

Anyone who knowingly violates that law is liable for a civil fine of up to $5,000. And a judge can order the person to pay an additional penalty “in an amount that equals the value of the public resources unlawfully used.”

Tack denied there was any violation of the law. And he said the release he prepared and sent out from his state computer was on behalf of Douglas as state superintendent of public instruction and not reflective of the official position of the entire Department of Education.

Douglas did attend Wednesday’s campaign event in Phoenix, though Tack said she did not get a chance to actually speak with Trump.

“She just feels like there’s an understanding, at least a meeting of their kind of philosophies when it comes to education, particularly the federal government’s involvement,” he said. “He’s expressed a similar distrust for Common Core and just, in general …. if he ends up being elected, is looking to lessen the federal government’s role.”