DHS employees, whose bosses just engaged in a partisan political stunt by broadcasting a naturalization ceremony as part of the RNC, received an email today reminding them not to violate the Hatch Act.

Excerpts from the email about Hatch Act sent to DHS employees:
“Under the Hatch Act, all Department employees are prohibited from certain conduct, including: using official authority or influence for the purpose of affecting the result of an election;

"soliciting, accepting or receiving political contributions; soliciting or discouraging the political participation of any person who has a matter pending before the Department;

"and conducting any political activity while on duty or while in a government room, building, vehicle or other facility, while wearing DHS badge or insignia, or while using government equipment”

Email also notes that "In addition, as a matter of long-standing DHS policy, political appointees in the Department are also considered further restricted.”

To wit: “DHS Political Appointees are prohibited from actively participating in partisan related political activities at any time and must seek the Office of the Secretary’s approval to passively attend partisan political events”

Now, I suppose Acting DHS Secretary Wolf could have secured his own "approval to passively attend [a] partisan political event." But he was not a passive attendant -- he administered a naturalization oath at a political convention!

Also, he didn't get permission of the *legally* appointed secretary, because...there isn't one. Wolf is serving in the job illegally, per GAO https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/08/14/top-dhs-officials-wolf-cuccinelli-are-not-legally-eligible-serve-their-current-roles-congressional-watchdog-agency-finds/

Oh I left this line out: "Further restricted employees may not engage in partisan political activities even while on their own time or away from the workplace"