The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) today announced a settlement agreement reached with a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employee in Alaska who violated the Hatch Act by wearing a political campaign hat while delivering mail. OSC filed a complaint for disciplinary action with the Merit Systems Protection Board on May 18, 2022. In a settlement agreement, the employee agreed to serve a 21-day unpaid suspension.
The letter carrier wore the hat while delivering mail for about a month in May 2019. After receiving complaints from customers, the employee’s supervisor told him to stop wearing the hat while at work, and he complied. However, less than two months later, he posted to Facebook a picture of himself wearing the hat and his USPS uniform. The Hatch Act prohibits most federal employees from engaging in political activity while on duty or while wearing a uniform or official insignia identifying the office or position of the employee.