A former Boise Democratic state representative Friday filed a complaint with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel against the chief of the U.S. Forest Service, alleging that the chief was violating a federal law that bars employees in the executive branch from engaging in political activity while on duty.
Todd Achilles, who withdrew from his Idaho House seat to run for U.S. Senate against Sen. Jim Risch as an independent, accused Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz of allowing “overtly partisan” messages to be posted on the Forest Service’s website. Those messages, which blamed the “radical left Democrats” for the government shutdown, broke a federal law called the Hatch Act, Achilles said.
“Aggressively partisan political messages on federal agency websites constitute not only a violation of the Hatch Act but also a violation of the nonpartisan standards that all Idahoans demand of Forest Service employees,” Achilles wrote in his complaint letter, which he emailed to media outlets Friday.
“The Radical Left Democrats shut down the government,” the Forest Service websites read. “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.”
The message posted on the Forest Service websites “undermines public trust and may constitute prohibited ‘partisan political activity,’” Achilles wrote in a news release accompanying his complaint.
The U.S. Forest Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Hatch Act prohibits government workers from engaging in political activity or using government resources “in a way that suggests endorsement” of a political party or candidate. The act aims to “maintain a federal workforce that is free from partisan political influence or coercion,” according to a guide produced by the federal Office of Special Counsel.
“Federal agencies exist to serve all Americans, regardless of political affiliation,” Achilles said in the news release. “The moment you let an official site become a tool of party propaganda, you betray that foundational American mandate.”
The federal government shut down Wednesday after funding laws expired, putting over 750,000 federal employees on furlough and leaving others working without pay. The shutdown stemmed in large part from disagreement between Democratic and Republican lawmakers over whether to continue Affordable Care Act health insurance subsidies.