WASHINGTON – AFSCME President Lee Saunders released the following statement after the Office of the Special Counsel announced an update to its approach to enforcing the Hatch Act:
“Americans expect executive branch employees to stay out of partisan politics. But for too long, White House staff and others have been permitted to dodge Hatch Act enforcement and continue conducting political business with few restrictions. The new guidance released this morning by the Office of Special Counsel finally follows the letter of the Hatch Act and closes this loophole. AFSCME was founded on the belief that the people’s business should be conducted by professionals committed to public service, not to a political agenda. We welcome this important and overdue change.”