Federal Hatch Act Advisory:
Working for a Partisan Campaign

March 2, 1998

     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 an employee of the General Services Administration, from working on a U.S. Senate campaign. In your letter you state that you will be soliciting signatures for nominating petitions, arranging speaking venues, distributing campaign literature, speaking on behalf of the candidate, handling media relations and working at the polls.

     The Hatch Act Reform Amendments of 1993 (5 U.S.C. §§ 7321-7326) generally permit most federal government employees to actively participate in partisan political management and partisan political campaigns. While employees are now free to engage in many types of political activity, they are prohibited from engaging in political activity while on duty or while in a room or building occupied in the discharge of official duties. Additionally, employees are prohibited from soliciting, accepting or receiving political contributions, except in limited situations dealing with employee and labor organizations.

     Generally, most employees may participate in activities such as the ones that you have listed. The Act would not prohibit you from collecting signatures for a nominating petition, writing speeches, working with the media, distributing campaign literature or from working at the polls. For your information I have enclosed our booklet, Political Activity and the Federal Employee. Please call me at 800-854-2824 if you have any questions.