In an email obtained by The Daily Beast, the U.S. Department of the Interior told staff on Wednesday afternoon that they are not allowed to show up to work dressed as President Trump for Halloween.
The email, with the subject line “Halloween Hatch Act Reminder,” reads: “While we enjoy the Halloween activities this afternoon, it is important to remember that employees should not wear costumes that resemble candidates for partisan political office. Please keep in mind that President Donald J. Trump is officially a candidate for reelection.”
The Interior Department’s press office did not immediately respond to an email asking if this memo was sent because someone had actually showed up to work dressed up as the president.
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The email goes on to describe at length how the “Hatch Act prohibits federal employees from… engaging in political activity while on duty, in a federal room or building, while wearing an official uniform or insignia, or using a government vehicle… A federal employee dressing up as a candidate for an agency Halloween party poses a challenging problem because it is unclear if the individual’s costume choice is meant to be taken as a sign of support for or opposition to a particular candidate or just merely a selection based on what is currently trending in pop culture.”
The staff email concludes: “Thank you for your cooperation.”
