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Common Hatch Act Questions
Through conversations the Legislative and Political Department has had with so many carriers, we have noticed that there are some common concerns regarding some of the specific issues surrounding Hatch Act. One of the biggest questions comes from donations to a political candidate is about fundraising. You can personally make a donation, say, to a person running for Congress, but you cannot solicit a donation from anyone specifically for that candidate.
The Hatch Act does allow you to run and serve as treasurer for a political organization, but you cannot have your name on the invitation for the event as a solicitor, nor can you collect and deposit the checks/cash. A recent response from the OSC regarding serving as treasurer states that "employees may not knowingly solicit, accept, or receive political contributions unless: both individuals are members of the same federal labor organization; the person solicited is not a subordinate employee; and the solicitation is for a contribution to a multi-candidate political committee." Your name can appear on the invitation if you are a speaker, but this cannot suggest in any way that you are soliciting or encouraging contributions to a partisan political candidate. However, as treasurer you can prepare and file the campaign finance reports and pay campaign bills for a partisan political candidate.
If you have other questions regarding Hatch Act, feel free to contact the Office of Special Counsel on the Web or by phone at 800-85-HATCH.
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