More Dan Pike Hatch Act fun

Every federal grant has compliance documents that are signed and acknowledged by the grant applicant and administrator.

According to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel - Dan Pike applied for the following federal grants and handled all necessary reporting (administrative) requirements. All grants are subject to Hatch Act restrictions on political activity.

1. Federal Highway Administration Grant
2. The Federal Transit Authority Grant
3. The Surface Transportation Program Grant
4. The North Sound Connecting Communities Project Grant

Additionally, Skagit Council of Governments received the Active Communities Environments Grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services during Mr. Pike's employment with SCOG.

Just for grins, Let's take a look at the Federal Transit Authority (FTA) Grant Certification and Assurances Document for 2006.

Page 7 contains language regarding Hatch Act requirements for grant recipient and employees:

15) To the extent applicable, will comply with the requirements of the Hatch Act, 5 U.S.C. 1501 through 1508 and 7324 through 7326, which limit the political activities of state and local agencies and their officers and employees whose primary employment activities are financed in whole or part with Federal funds including a Federal loan, grant agreement, or cooperative agreement except, in accordance with 49 U.S.C. 5307(k)(2) and 23 U.S.C. 142(g), the Hatch Act does not apply to a nonsupervisory employee of a public transportation system (or of any other agency or entity performing related functions) receiving FTA assistance to whom that Act does not otherwise apply;

http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/2006-Certs-Paper.doc

Mayor Pike also worked for the Washington State Department of Transportation in Tacoma before he accepted a position as Transportation Director for Skagit Council of Governments. I'm confident that WSDOT has Hatch Act training for individuals who work with federal DOT grants.

Still think it's an obscure law?

Do a google search -- DOT Hatch Act --

Political Activities of Federal Employees
http://www.osc.gov/documents/hatchact/federal/5cfr734.htm

Need to know Hatch Act
http://ohmygov.com/blogs/on-the-horizon/archive/2008/09/13/need-to-know-hatch-act-reminder.aspx

DOT Travel Report
http://www.oig.dot.gov/StreamFile?file=/data/pdfdocs/fe2000089.pdf

2003 Press Release
http://www.osc.gov/documents/press/2003/pr03_17.htm

OSC brochure on State and Local Employee Hatch Act Restrictions
http://www.few.org/docs/legislative/FEWHatchActStateFlyer.pdf

WA Attorney General Opinion
http://www.atg.wa.gov/opinion.aspx?section=topic&id=15518