Prof. Richard Painter Quoted in New York Times About Loosening of Hatch Act Rules

Professor Richard Painter, S. Walter Richey Professor of Corporate Law, was quoted in the New York Times about the Trump administration moving to weaken federal prohibitions on government employees showing support for Donald Trump while at work, embracing the notion that they should be allowed to wear campaign paraphernalia and removing an independent review board’s role in policing violations. The Office of Special Counsel, an agency involved in enforcing the restrictions, announced the changes to the interpretation of the Hatch Act, a Depression-era law devised to ensure that the federal work force operates free of political influence or coercion. Prof. Painter said that now Trump-appointed managers could be walking around federal offices wearing Trump-Vance gear. He said, “I think it’s destructive to allow it.”