Statement from Cause of Action Executive Director Dan Epstein on the latest Hatch Act concerns raised by Congress:
“The Office of Special Counsel’s (OSC) guidance on the Hatch Act prohibits certain federal employees from engaging in partisan political behavior that contributes to the success or failure of a political party, candidate or political group. If the IRS used government resources to actively target partisan political groups, then why has OSC failed to enforce the Hatch Act against that agency? The Obama Administration cannot have it both ways. Either organizations singled out by this Administration are not partisan political groups and this President authorizes the suppression of First Amendment activity with impunity or the OSC is not enforcing the law against executive branch employees for their on-duty partisan targeting of organizations the White House claims are partisan political groups.”
