According to a release from the Department of Defense Office of General Counsel Standards of Conduct Office, ‘‘The Hatch Act prohibits federal executive branch employees from knowingly soliciting, accepting or receiving a political contribution from any person, except in limited circumstances. It also prohibits federal executive branch employees from engaging in political activity while on duty, in any government room or building, while wearing a uniform or official insignia or using any vehicle owned or leased by the government.”

The Hatch Act defines political activity as ‘‘activity directed toward the success or failure of a political party, candidate for a partisan political office or partisan political group.”

Essentially, the regulation requires federal employees to keep their political activity out of the workplace. Most political activity is allowed, as long as there is no implication that the employee’s company or department is a party to that activity.

Federal employees may, for example, attend political functions, contribute money to the cause or candidate of their choice, run for office in non-partisan elections, vote as they choose, participate in or advocate partisan campaigns and hold office in political parties or clubs.

However, activities such as declaring candidacy in a partisan election; engaging in political activity while on duty, in uniform, using a government vehicle or in a government office; wearing partisan political buttons on duty; using official authority to interfere in the election process or soliciting or discouraging political activity of anyone with business before their agency are prohibited.

For complete details on Hatch Act regulations, examples of what can constitute a violation or other information, visit the Office of Special Counsel’s website: www.osc.gov⁄ha_fed.htm.

For more specific questions, call Fort Myer’s Legal Services office at (703) 696-0761.