Watchdog office launches Hatch Act campaign

You may be a fervent supporter of one of the presidential candidates, but if you're a federal employee you'd better take that political button off before you go to work.

That's just one of the rules the Office of Special Counsel is reminding civil servants about in a series of seminars beginning next week.

The office is charged with both preventing violations of the Hatch Act, the law governing federal employees' political activities, and prosecuting violations of the act. With the election year in full swing, Special Counsel Elaine Kaplan is trumpeting the Hatch Act message: federal workers can take part in political campaigns, but their activities are more restricted than those of partisans in the private sector.

If you're a federal worker covered by the Hatch Act, you can:

• Register and vote as you choose.
• Attend political fundraising functions.
• Campaign for or against candidates in partisan elections.

• Be a candidate for public office in partisan elections.
• Solicit or discourage political activity of anyone with business before your agency.
• Engage in political activity while on duty, in a government office, wearing an official uniform or using a government vehicle.

The first stop for the Hatch Act educators from the Office of Special Counsel is the Office of Personnel Management's Washington headquarters, where Kaplan will host a two-hour seminar on March 8.

Reservations can be made via e-mail by contacting Noreen Miner at nminer@osc.gov by March 1. Additional dates have not yet been announced.

The Office of Special Counsel also maintains a Hatch Act information Web page at: www.osc.gov/hatchact.htm.