Judge holds government employees' emails did not violated Hatch Act
The Washington Post reports: Two government employees did not violate restrictions against partisan politics in the federal workplace last fall when they sent politically charged e-mails to more than 20 of their colleagues, an administrative law judge ruled this month.
The April 14 ruling by Judge Arthur J. Amchan of the Merit Systems Protection Board dismissed attempts by the Office of Special Counsel to have the two Social Security Administration workers fired for violating the Hatch Act, which limits political activity by employees in federal offices and on government time. ...
But Amchan ruled that the e-mails amounted to the electronic equivalent of a discussion of politics around the office water cooler, something that is legal.
"In some circumstances, a federal employee using his or her computer in a government office may violate the Hatch Act by engaging in 'political activity,' " Amchan wrote in his 16-page opinion. "However, an expression of personal opinion does not constitute political activity merely because it is disseminated to two dozen individuals with one or several computer keystrokes." -- Judge Rejects Sanction Over Political E-Mails