The Hatch Act and Political Activities

The Hatch Act (5 United States Code §§ 7321-7326) and related regulations at 5 Code of Federal Regulations Part 734, govern the political activities of most Federal employees. The following are summaries of the basic rules for political appointees, "further restricted" employees, and "less restricted" employees.

If you have questions, contact your component Ethics Official or the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) for more information. OSC exclusively investigates and prosecutes Hatch Act cases.

DHS employees who violate the Hatch Act may be subject to personnel actions.