Hatch Act Rules Feds Must Know Before Running for Elected Office

If you are a federal employee considering running for elected office, you must navigate the Hatch Act. The Hatch Act is a law that sets forth rules for the political activities of Executive Branch employees. These rules apply whether you are considering running in national, state, or local elections. And because these rules are so important, the USDA Office of Ethics and the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) have joined forces to provide all Federal employees across the Executive Branch with this short introduction to the rules about being a candidate for elected office. IMPORTANT NOTICE: While this video provides practical advice that Federal employees can use right away, it is not intended to be an exhaustive listing of the Hatch Act rules, and it is not a substitute for talking to your own agency’s Ethics Advisors or the OSC Hatch Act Unit about your specific situation. If you are a USDA employee and have any questions, you can always contact the USDA Office of Ethics at: www.usda.gov/oe. For additional resources, you can also download USDA’s free, publicly available, Ethics App, by searching "USDA Ethics" on any smartphones (Apple and Android) app store. USDA’s Office of Ethics, a leader in creating innovative Ethics and Hatch Act resources, is also the first agency that created a new Ethics Training Game featuring space exploration, astronauts, food sustainability, and the Federal Ethics rules - it’s located on the USDA website at www.usda.gov/oe.