Lynnwood Campbell v. Merit Systems Protection Board

CLEVENGER, Circuit Judge.

This case involves the Hatch Political Activities Act, 5 U.S.C. § 7324(a)(2) (1988) (Hatch Act), which prohibits certain federal employees from “tak[ing] an active part in political management or in political campaigns.” More precisely, the case deals with an exception to the Hatch Act. Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. § 7327 (1988), the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) may prescribe regulations permitting certain persons otherwise subject to § 7324 — those resident in political subdivisions in Virginia in the immediate vicinity of the District of Columbia — to take an active…