Midnight Restoration Project and the Hatch Act

[PAL]

I'll keep contacting alot of people and try to find the "power" people that could pursue this and at least get it taken off the website. It is so blatant and in our faces.

[just-jim]

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You are correct, David.

The Merit System Protection Board - MSPB - deals with Federal employees….not with those folks holding appointed positions. The MSPB is sort of the ‘last hope’ for an employee with a grievance (or one facing some degree of punishment), before turning to the Court system.

Yes, we need a way to keep political appointees on the straight and narrow. I always thought that was a Congressional responsibility- but alas….they are asleep at the wheel.
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[mister_coffee]

The enforcement mechanisms for the Hatch act involve the Office of Special Counsel and something called the Merit Systems Protection Board. From what I have read those mechanisms aren't really effective when violations happen with extremely senior government officials like cabinet members, the President, or Vice President.

One thing we have to fix if we ever get out of this mess is to have an effective mechanism to bring a lawless government to heel. Well, an effective mechanism short of a rebellion.

[just-jim]

Yeah, it is a clear violation of the Hatch Act, which dates from 1939. The Act prevents things like that. Many govt websites are similarly labeled.

Several web groups of current and former employees are discussing how to pursue a case under the Act.

[PAL]

I received the announcement about the Midnight Restoration comment period starting yesterday. Here is the statement at the top of the webpage. Jim, I thought you would be interested in this. I sure am. I don't think our local forest service put this on the page, that it came from DC. I have contacted alot of people about it.

"The Radical Left Democrats shut down the government. This government website will be updated periodically during the funding lapse for mission critical functions. President Trump has made it clear he wants to keep the government open and support those who feed, fuel, and clothe the American people."

Here is the link to the project.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/okanogan-we ... dium=email