Political Activity Law/Political Law/Election Law

Day: April 21, 2008

  • Hatch Act

    Barr describes some of the restrictions on federal employees’ political activity in this article in today’s Post.

    The law prohibits federal employees from engaging in political activity while on duty, wearing campaign buttons in the office and putting campaign bumper stickers on a government car. It also bans soliciting, accepting or receiving political contributions, and prohibits employees from using their official positions to influence or interfere with an election. Violators are usually punished and can even lose their jobs.

    The last Hatch Act debate in Congress, in 1992 and 1993, occurred just as the Internet revolution was starting. There was nary a word about the potential power of Web sites and e-mail to shape political opinion.

    Today, of course, political messages, campaign solicitations, cartoons and satire whiz across the country via e-mail. Federal employees cannot control what pops into their e-mail inbox. However, forwarding an e-mail that urges a vote for a specific candidate or seeks to raise campaign money is a Hatch Act violation if done inside a federal building, the OSC has determined.

  • Report on Outside Groups

    The Post covers activity by outside groups here.

    “The folks on the right may have a rude awakening when they see how sophisticated the infrastructure is that’s been built up on the left,” said Clifford May, who heads the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, which could figure into the Republican effort. May, who said he has discussed the imbalance with Rove, added: “We’re the little leagues compared to them.”

  • Legistorm Controversy

    There’s been some reporting about a controversy involving publicly available data on LegiStorm.

    Furious senior House aides are demanding committee action against a website that has posted their bank account numbers, signatures, home addresses and children’s names that are included in financial disclosure documents.

    Some are demanding legal action against the website LegiStorm, which since February has been posting congressional documents online as a way to increase transparency in government. Aides have brought their complaints to the House Administration Committee and the clerk of the House.

    Staffers, however, are unsatisfied so far and say they may protest by refusing to turn in personal disclosure forms by the May 15 deadline. They worry the online information could lead to identify theft or their being targeted by criminals, and some are pleading for intervention from lawyers at the House General Counsel’s office.

    LegisStorm’s response is here.