Postal Employee’s Facebook Posts Violated Hatch Act

USPS News Link – 4/28/20 – Remember “Travis,” the USPS employee who violated the Hatch Act by attempting to distribute signs for his favorite presidential candidate at the Post Office where he works?

The Postal Service recently featured Travis — not his real name — in its campaign to educate employees about the Hatch Act, a law that prohibits federal workers from engaging in political activity while on duty, while wearing a uniform, while on federal property or while inside a federal vehicle.

The campaign is continuing with the story of Travis’s co-worker “Bradley,” who supported a different presidential candidate than Travis and wanted everyone to know it.

Bradley — this isn’t his real name, either — made a video recording of himself in his postal vehicle, talking about his preferred presidential candidate. Bradley, who identified himself as a USPS employee in the video, then posted the recording on Facebook.

An investigation determined that Bradley, while on duty, had made and posted several other messages about presidential politics.

Like Travis, who agreed to a 30-day suspension for his violation, Bradley faced consequences for his actions.

Bradley served a 60-day suspension for electioneering on federal property and breaking the Hatch Act’s social media rules.

USPS wants employees to know about Travis and Bradley so they won’t run afoul of the law, too. The organization plans to showcase other workers who violated the Hatch Act during a campaign that will run throughout the year.

The Ethics Blue page has more Hatch Act resources, including a Let’s Talk Politics! fact sheet. Employees who have questions can contact their local field law office or send an email to ethics.help@usps.gov.

2 Responses to "Postal Employee’s Facebook Posts Violated Hatch Act"

  1. Let’s be real here. All these rules started to be enforced when Donald Trump entered the ring and all of a sudden everything had to be hush, hush. No more than one bumper sticker on a personal vehicle if parked in the workers parking lot and all kinds of threat tactics if you simply said the word “Trump” on the workroom floor. I know it bothers many of you but like it or not, Mr. Trump is the POTUS. As a veteran and retiree of the USPS, I like Mr. Trump. It is easy to see that he loves this country and he is trying his best with so many haters that try to trip him up. Nobody was mentioning the Hatch Act in 2008 when Mr. Obama was running but come 2016, all the cry babies came out of the Hatch Act wood work. Also, the “almighty” NALC didn’t want Trump, they wanted a Democrat. Looks like a bunch of sour grapes down at the good old union halls. Start eating them.

    Amen GI Joe – good post.

  2. You have no business enforcing the Hatch Act against hourly wage bargaining unit employees
    while Kelly Ann Conway still is on the payroll .

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