Election E-Mails Can End Your Term in the Office

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The OSC handles Hatch Act cases at the federal, state and local level, and Galindo-Marrone said they have been on the rise since 2000. That year, the OSC investigated 97 cases. Last year, it looked into 281 cases. Through March of this year, it has received 96 complaints. Most of the cases begin when a federal employee alerts the OSC to questionable activities in the workplace.

In recent months, Galindo-Marrone has been touring federal agencies, explaining that technology is increasing the ways that employees can get into trouble at their office desks.

That is what happened to a NASA employee in Houston.

An OSC investigation found that in 2006 and 2007, the employee used his government e-mail account to coordinate and plan activities for a political group and to assist a candidate running for state representative while at his NASA office. He also made blog postings from work to promote campaigns of several candidates, and, at least twice in 2006, urged blog readers to make political contributions.

As a result, the OSC found him in violation of the Hatch Act. The employee was suspended for 180 days without pay.

Stephen Barr's e-mail address isbarrs@washpost.com.

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