§ 2504. Political activities prohibited
A. Political activities by and extending to employees of the
classified service are hereby prohibited as follows:
(1) No person shall seek or attempt to use any political
endorsement in connection with any appointment to a
position in the classified service.
(2) No person shall use or promise to use, directly or
indirectly, any official authority or influence, whether
possessed or anticipated, to secure or attempt to secure
for any person an appointment or advantage in appointment
to a position in the classified service, or an increase
in pay or other advantage in employment in any such
position, for the purpose of influencing the vote or
political action of any person, or for any consideration.
(3) No employee in the classified service shall, directly or
indirectly, pay, or promise to pay, any assessment,
subscription, or contribution for any political
organization or purpose, or solicit or take part in
soliciting any such assessment, subscription, or
contribution. No person shall solicit any such
assessment, subscription, or contribution of any employee
in classified service. The prohibitions of this Sub-
section shall not be construed as applying to membership
dues paid, or contributions made, to non-political
employee organizations, pension funds, civic enterprises,
the Louisiana Civil Service League or any similar
non-political and non-partisan organization.
(4) No employee in the classified service shall (a) be a
member of any national, state, or local committee of a
political party, (b) be an officer or member of a
committee of any factional, political club or
organization, (c) be a candidate for nomination or
election to public office, (d) make any political speech
or public political statement in behalf of any candidate
seeking to be elected to public office, or (e) take any
part in the management or affairs of any political party
or in the political campaign of any candidate for public
office, except to privately express his opinion and to
cast his vote.
(5) No person elected to public office shall, while serving
in the elective office, be appointed to or hold any
position in the classified service.
(6) No appointing authority, or agent or deputy thereof,
shall directly or indirectly, demote, suspend, discharge,
or otherwise discipline, or threaten to demote, suspend,
discharge or otherwise discipline, or discriminate
against any person in the classified service for the
purpose of influencing his vote, support, or other
political activity in any election or primary election.
No appointing authority, or agent or deputy thereof,
shall use his official authority or influence, by
threats, promises or other means, directly or indirectly,
to coerce the political action of any employee in the
classified service.
B. The appointing authority shall discharge from the service any
employee whom he deems guilty of violating any one or more of
the provisions of this Section. The board may, upon its own
initiative, investigate any officer or employee in the
classified service whom it reasonably believes guilty of
violating any one or more of the provisions. Any citizen,
taxpayer, municipal officer, or employee may file with the
board detailed charges in writing against any employee in the
classified service for violating any one or more of the
provisions of this Section. The board shall, within thirty
days after receiving the written charges, hold a public
hearing and investigation and determine whether such charges
are true and correct. If the board should find upon its
investigation of any employee that he has violated any of the
foregoing provisions, the board shall order the appointing
authority to forthwith discharge the guilty employee from the
service and the appointing authority shall forthwith discharge
the employee.
C. Whoever violates this Section shall be subject to the
penalties provided in R.S. 33:2507. In addition any employee
in the classified service who is discharged because of
violating a foregoing provision shall not again be eligible
for employment or public office in the classified service for
a period of six years from the time of his discharge.
Date this page was last updated: Wednesday, May 30, 2001 10:23 AM