The U.S. Office of Personnel Management has publicly warned federal employees about violating the Hatch Act after FBI officials have been seemingly trying to undermine Hillary Clinton's campaign with a series of actions and leaks just days before the election.
FBI Director James Comey recently followed-up his unprecedented July press conference condemning Clinton with a surprise announcement that the investigation into her private email server was not over -- just 11 days before the election. Suspicions were further raised when the FBI decided to release information about President Bill Clinton's controversial pardon less than a week before voters go to the polls.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that FBI investigators had based a probe of the Clinton Foundation on a discredited book written by a fringe conservative author. And then, the investigators disobeyed instructions from their superiors to drop the case.
All of this had some people wondering if FBI officials were violating the Hatch Act, a 1939 law that prevents federal employees from abusing their positions to support candidates.
The suggestion came from the Office of Personnel Management on Thursday that some federal employees might be crossing the line.
"If you're a #Fed, please know the restrictions of political activity under the #HatchAct," the agency said in a message posted to OPM's official Twitter page.
If you're a #Fed, please know the restrictions of political activity under the #HatchAct https://t.co/lNbOTl69yn
— OPM (@USOPM) November 3, 2016
The tweet included a 2013 video explaining that "federal employees are prohibited from using their official authority to interfere with the results of an election."
