Post by trueblue on Aug 30, 2022 20:03:28 GMT
'Attorney General Merrick Garland issues new prohibitions on political activities for DOJ appointees'
Attorney General Merrick Garland issued new restrictions Tuesday barring Justice Department appointees from attending partisan political events even in their personal capacities.
Garland's directive, with the 2022 midterm elections looming, represents a break from long-standing department policy and a strict interpretation of the Hatch Act, which limits federal government employees' political participation to guard against conflicts of interest.
The attorney general's new prohibitions apply to the Justice Department's non-career officials and not to other parts of the government.
"Although longstanding Department policy has permitted non-career appointees to attend partisan political events... in their personal capacities if they participated passively and obtained prior approval," Garland wrote, "under the new policy, non-career appointees may not participate in any partisan political event in any capacity."
Garland's directive, with the 2022 midterm elections looming, represents a break from long-standing department policy and a strict interpretation of the Hatch Act, which limits federal government employees' political participation to guard against conflicts of interest.
The attorney general's new prohibitions apply to the Justice Department's non-career officials and not to other parts of the government.
"Although longstanding Department policy has permitted non-career appointees to attend partisan political events... in their personal capacities if they participated passively and obtained prior approval," Garland wrote, "under the new policy, non-career appointees may not participate in any partisan political event in any capacity."