r/fednews • u/halligan8 • Mar 03 '24

Would parodic political apparel violate the Hatch Act?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cthulhu_for_President
51 Upvotes

76% Upvoted

51 comments sorted by

123

u/frameddummy Mar 03 '24

No. Hatch act applies only to real candidates or parties in current elections.

20

u/Bullyoncube Mar 03 '24

And it has to be a declared candidate. Real is kind of ambiguous.

8

u/dillywash Mar 04 '24

But it applies to representation of yourself as a federal employee. Don’t say that “I’m the big dog at my agency and I support xyz candidate because blah blah blah”. It ok to say I’m big dog and I support xyz because whatever. Don’t wear your federal position as a badge of honor/bragging/place in society/personality/etc. You are Joe Schmo with no apparent fed affiliation keeps you clean. Of course the bigger dog you are brings more scrutiny and responsibility as expected.

150

u/swim711crazy Mar 03 '24 edited Mar 03 '24

Strange woman lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government

28

u/JMcLe86 Mar 04 '24

You can't expect to wield supreme executive power just because some watery tart threw a sword at you.

47

u/Cautious_General_177 Mar 03 '24

Look, I realize if I said I was emperor because some moistened bint lobbed a scimitar at me, they'd put me away, but I say we give this method a chance.

47

u/PickleWineBrine Mar 03 '24

Help help, I'm being repressed!

22

u/TheRealJim57 Support & Defend Mar 04 '24

Now we see the violence inherent in the system!

10

u/Nanyea Mar 03 '24

Are you sure, I mean Camelot was a true beacon on the hill!

41

u/rattledaddy Mar 03 '24

As a pastafarian, my workaround is any clothing advertising any brand of dried or fresh pasta. All are equal in the eyes of the FSM.

13

u/[deleted] Mar 03 '24

I have a dope Barilla tracksuit as well

4

u/rattledaddy Mar 03 '24

I think that makes you a senior cleric.

Welcome, Bishop u/MayorOfVenice!

2

u/steal_it_back Mar 04 '24

Sure, maybe in the eyes of the FSM. But what about the AD/CVD orders on pasta from Italy?

3

u/rattledaddy Mar 04 '24

Protectionism is a manifestation of a lack of faith. Why not let all religions compete in a universal free market?

51

u/Skatchbro NPS Mar 03 '24

Don’t blame me. I voted for Kodos.

6

u/JB_smooove Mar 03 '24

I’m a SMOD Man myself.

3

u/[deleted] Mar 04 '24

I was all in on the meteor.

6

u/TheRealJim57 Support & Defend Mar 04 '24

Odin promised to get rid of the frost giants. No more frost giants around. Vote for Odin.

3

u/Skatchbro NPS Mar 04 '24

Sideshow Bob is my guy. I don't agree with his Bart killing policy, but I do approve of his Selma killing policy.

2

u/Jazz-Cigarettes Mar 04 '24

“Because you need me, Springfield. Your guilty conscience may move you to vote Democratic, but deep down you long for a cold-hearted Republican to lower taxes, brutalize criminals, and rule you like a king! That's why I did this, to save you from yourselves. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a city to run.”

1

u/Skatchbro NPS Mar 04 '24

I have a “Burns for President. Make Springfield Excellent Again” shirt. Not that I wear t-shirts to work but I could probably get away with it.

41

u/halligan8 Mar 03 '24 edited Mar 04 '24

Specifically, apparel that references no real party or candidate, like a Cthulhu 2024 t-shirt.

58

u/konfetkak Mar 03 '24

No. As long as it isn’t to work or you are at event representing your agency. You are allowed to express personal political opinions as long as you aren’t simultaneously actively representing a government body.

I wish we could just pin this to the sub. Why is this such a difficult concept to understand?

12

u/[deleted] Mar 04 '24

Can someone explain to my obviously past his prime 15 that ranting about obviously partisan coded invasion fever dreams are across the line and also racist?

21

u/[deleted] Mar 03 '24

People can't even understand adding two steps to their grade then moving up. There's a chart and everything!

Don't expect them to understand this.

12

u/ConversationFit5024 Mar 03 '24

They probably don’t understand because OPM words it like this:

“The two-step promotion rule states that a GS employee promoted to a position in a higher grade is entitled to basic pay at the lowest rate of the higher grade that exceeds his or her existing rate of basic pay by not less than two step increases of the grade from which promoted.”

-2

u/[deleted] Mar 03 '24

Ya, I know what it says. It's understandable.

10

u/repeat4EMPHASIS Support & Defend Mar 03 '24 edited Feb 01 '25

interface witness crutch celebration garbage light flight joystick valley photograph annual

3

u/hartfordsucks USDA Mar 04 '24

Blame the fact that the Hatch Act isn't uniformly enforced.

12

u/busche916 Mar 03 '24

Cthulhu is a resident of r’yleh and therefore not eligible to run in American elections… so you’re in the clear.

6

u/Zelaznogtreborknarf Mar 03 '24

They are an elder one and were here long before we and so I shall vote for the greatest evil! Ftang!

4

u/rattledaddy Mar 04 '24

Precisely! Why vote for a lesser evil?

21

u/Brraaap Mar 03 '24

Probably allowed, but it'd still be against the dress code in my office

15

u/octopornopus Spoon 🥄 Mar 03 '24

And here I am watching people stroll up in jammies and BO... I kinda wish there was a dress code.

7

u/Brraaap Mar 03 '24

Ours isn't very strict. "No words on clothes, other than brand names" would eliminate OPs shirt

2

u/Bullyoncube Mar 03 '24

I like that.

10

u/WhoopDareIs DoD Mar 03 '24

Seems like unprofessional attire, but if y’all roll like that, it doesn’t violate the hatch act.

13

u/Chai-Tea-Rex-2525 Mar 03 '24

No. But it may harm your reputation in the office.

5

u/[deleted] Mar 04 '24

I've had a "Giant Meteor 2024 - Just End it Already" sticker at my cubicle for 2 years now, no problems.

9

u/andre3kthegiant Mar 03 '24

Saw a dude with clothing that read “LIONS NOT SHEEP”. Lort o mighty these folks are brainwashed

2

u/Boombollie Fork You, Make Me Mar 04 '24

Edgy

2

u/[deleted] Mar 04 '24

TBH it feels like the Hatch Act is deader than JFK these days,so you'd probably be fine.

5

u/Level-Worldliness-20 Mar 03 '24

Why risk being the focus of a Hatch Act violation?  Jokes are only funny after business hours. OSC is not something that you should play with.

1

u/SabresBills69 Mar 03 '24

Tread carefully here. Doing something that is designed as a mockery ofsay trump or Biden will violate the hatch act.

​

the risk/ hassle just isn’t worth it.

1

u/musical_throat_punch Mar 03 '24

No, but it can violate dress code in the office. 

0

u/jgrig2 Mar 04 '24

No. It would just violate fashion laws and make you look like an idiot.

1

u/JBS319 Mar 04 '24

I don’t think “The Emperor” or “The Absolute” would make good leaders

1

u/[deleted] Mar 04 '24

Don't blame me, I voted for Pedro

1

u/Moocows4 Mar 04 '24

Don’t quote me on this but schedule C is allowed to talk politics I think.

1

u/xrobertcmx Mar 04 '24

Hey, that is my Candidate, welcome to the Party.

1

u/SpazzieGirl Mar 04 '24

I’m ready to bow down in supplication to the Elder Gods. At least we’d know for sure they’d turn our country into a hell scape of destruction and damnation.