What does the Hatch Act say?
The Hatch Act was enacted initially in 1939. It is intended to cover all civilian employees in the executive branch of the federal government except the president and vice president. It applies as well to governmental agency employees at state and lower levels of government when their salaries are paid in part by federal money. The law applies only to employees, not to elected officials. On the Office of Special Counsel web site is a document that provides a cursory overview of what kinds of activities are permitted and which are not under the Hatch Act. The document is called “Permitted and Prohibited Activities for Employees Who May Engage in Partisan Activity.” In part, it indicates that employees may: • Be candidates for public office in nonpartisan elections. • Express opinions about candidates and issues. • Contribute money to political organizations. • Attend and be active at political meetings. • Campaign for or against candidates in partisan elections. It also says that employ
