The Merit Systems Protection Board has ordered disciplinary actions recently in cases involving the Hatch Act brought by the Office of Special Counsel, including three cases in which the employee was ordered removed.
One of the removal cases involved an employee of the Mine Safety and Health Administration who won a primary election for township trustee before he became a federal employee and was a candidate in the general election after he became a federal employee. MSPB rejected his argument that he was permitted to continue his candidacy once he became a federal employee.
Another case involved an Army employee who twice ran for the U.S. House of Representatives and who solicited and received political contributions for his candidacies through mailings and his campaign website, said OSC, and a third involved a Justice Department employee who solicited a political contribution from a subordinate employee for a gubernatorial candidate.
In addition, a National Park Service supervisor was ordered suspended for 90 days for hosting a fundraising event at her home in support of a congressional candidate and, while at an office staff meeting, inviting subordinate employees to attend that fundraising event, OSC said.
