
	Hatch Act from Page 1


	On-Duty Political Activity As a general rule, political activity on-duty is prohibited. This means that you cannot do political work on work time or inside a federal building. Buttons, Bumper Stickers, and Uniforms Political buttons and bumper stickers are permitted off-duty, but not on-duty. You can leave your car in a federal parking lot with a bumper sticker on it. You have to cover the bumper sticker, however, if you are using your car for official business. What are the Penalties for Violations? The penalties for violating the rules against financial solicitation and on-duty activity are quite strict. The law requires that the employee be removed from his position, unless the Merit System Protection Board unanimously votes to impose a less severe penalty. In any event, the penalty cannot be less than a 30 day suspension. In addition, there are separate criminal statutes which prohibit the use of federal authority to influence an election, the solicitation of political contributions in federal buildings, coercing employees to engage in political activity, and misusing government vehicles. In other words, it pays to be very careful that you are not violating these rules. l

buildings;

Collect, solicit, receive, handle, disburse or account for contributions from the general public;

Wear a government uniform or government insignia while engaged in political activities;

Sell tickets to a political fund raising function to the general public.

Off-Duty Political Activities

You can do almost any political activity off-duty. You can volunteer to help a campaign, you can organize volunteers for a campaign, and you can manage a campaign. You can be actively involved in your political party, holding office and participating in conventions. You can give speeches and circulate petitions.

There are a few things you cannot do, on-duty or off-duty. You cannot run for partisan political office. You cannot use your official authority for political purposes. You cannot solicit or accept financial contributions from anyone, except contributions to TEPAC. TEPAC contributions may only be solicited from NTEU members and may not be solicited from subordinates. You can be indirectly involved in soliciting contributions, as long as you are not personally identified with the fundraising. For example, you can stuff envelopes asking for money, but you cannot make phone calls as part of a phone bank soliciting campaign contributions.

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