Two Department of Veterans Affairs employees recently served suspensions after sending partisan political emails while on duty in the federal workplace in violation of the Hatch Act, the Office of Special Counsel has announced.
It said the first employee served a 14-day suspension without pay for sending several e-mails directed at the success of then-candidate Barack Obama while in her government office and using her official VA e-mail account. All of the employee’s e-mails included her official title and contact information at the VA.
The other employee served a 21-day suspension without pay for sending multiple e-mails advocating for the Democratic Party and the Obama campaign – also sent while at work, using her government e-mail account despite receiving a daily reminder on her computer warning employees of the Hatch Act and its restrictions.
OSC has come down particularly hard on employees in the past that have solicited campaign contributions from subordinate employees but frequently issues cautionary statements in regard to lesser transgressions, as in this case.
With election season well underway, OSC clarified that an employee covered by the Hatch Act is prohibited from, among other things, using his or her official authority or influence to affect the result of an election by, for example, using his or her official title while engaging in political activity.
