The Justice Department Is Lowering Its Ethical Guardrails - Above the Law

"The Department of Justice recently changed a long-standing policy that limited the political activity of its senior political appointees. At first glance, the shift may appear technical. In reality, it removes an important safeguard designed to protect public confidence in the fairness of American elections."

"For more than two decades, the department treated its political appointees as 'further restricted' employees under that law - a designation grounded in a straightforward principle: officials responsible for enforcing election laws must be held to the highest standard of political neutrality."

"The Hatch Act is the primary federal law intended to shield elections from inappropriate political influence by government employees. Most federal workers are considered 'less restricted' under the law. They are free to participate widely in political life in their personal capacities."

The Justice Department recently changed a longstanding policy that designated senior political appointees as 'further restricted' employees under the Hatch Act, a federal law designed to protect elections from inappropriate political influence by government employees. This policy change removes an important safeguard intended to maintain public confidence in election fairness. The Hatch Act establishes different restrictions for federal workers: most are 'less restricted' and may participate in political activities in personal capacities, while a smaller group involved in investigations, prosecutions, or election oversight are classified as 'further restricted' to the highest standard of political neutrality. The former director of the DOJ's Departmental Ethics Office argues this policy shift undermines the principle that officials responsible for enforcing election laws must maintain strict political impartiality.

Read at Above the Law