Federal Hatch Act Advisory:
Serving as a Treasurer of a Campaign

November 18, 1997

     This letter is in response to your request for an advisory opinion concerning the Hatch Act. Specifically, you ask whether the Act would prohibit you, as a federal employee, from serving as the treasurer of a candidate for the office of State Representative in Oregon.

     The Hatch Act Reform Amendments of 1993 (5 U.S.C. §§ 7321-7326) generally permit most federal employees to actively participate in partisan political management and partisan political campaigns. However, covered employees may not knowingly solicit, accept, or receive political contributions unless: both individuals are members of the same federal labor organization; the person solicited is not a subordinate employee; and the solicitation is for a contribution to a multicandidate political committee. 5 U.S.C. § 7323(a)(2).

     Consequently, the Hatch Act would not prohibit you from serving as a treasurer and performing such tasks as preparing campaign finance reports, filing campaign finance reports, and paying campaign bills for a partisan political candidate. However, you would be prohibited from soliciting, accepting or receiving any political contributions except under the circumstances described in 5 U.S.C. § 7323(a)(2). For your information I have enclosed a copy of our booklet which explains the application of the Hatch Act to federal employees. Please call me at (800)-854-2824 if you have any questions.