This article deals with the petty question of forwarding or sending emails by employees.

The presidential campaign season is underway, so be careful what you do and say in the federal workplace -- especially in an e-mail.

That was the key warning at a Senate hearing yesterday on the Hatch Act, which prohibits certain political activities in the federal workplace.

Sending or even forwarding an e-mail on your government computer that advocates the election or defeat of a political candidate can put you in violation of the law and possibly get you fired, federal officials said.

The Hatch Act, passed in 1939, restricts the political activities of federal employees, giving them a shield to ward off pressure from their supervisors or political bosses. Yesterday's hearing examined the law, how it is enforced and whether it may be too rigid in the age of the Internet.

Federal employees still cannot engage in political activity while on duty, in a government office, using a government vehicle or wearing an official uniform. They cannot run for office in a partisan election. They also cannot use their official authority to interfere with an election, and they cannot solicit or receive political contributions.

In 1993, Congress eased some of the restrictions to permit federal employees to take an active role in political campaigns. The changes have allowed federal employees outside of office hours to manage political campaigns, serve as delegates to political conventions, organize fundraisers and distribute brochures for a political party on Election Day outside polling places.

Too bad it didn’t look at the issue of federal employees soliciting campaign contributions on their blogs. I’ve seen a number of such incidents in recent weeks – despite the fact that the OSC indicates that federal employees may not “solicit or receive political contributions (may be done in certain limited situations by federal labor or other employee organizations).”

Posted by: Greg at 11:24 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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