Union representing IRS employees endorsed Kamala Harris, not IRS itself | Fact check
By BrieAnna J. Frank, USA TODAY,
3 hours ago
The claim: The IRS endorsed Kamala Harris
A Sept. 21 Instagram post ( direct link , archive link ) includes a clip of a man discussing political endorsements ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
"The reason people endorse candidates, particularly presidential candidates, is because they believe that that candidate, if elected, is going to help their purpose, their cause and advance their mission," he says. "The IRS just endorsed Kamala Harris."
The IRS did not make any such endorsement. The labor union representing IRS employees endorsed Vice President Harris, but it does not speak on behalf of the agency.
Hatch Act restricts federal employees' political activity
But the labor union is a separate entity from the tax agency.
“Our endorsement does not represent the IRS, and our union does not represent agency leadership, agency supervisors or agency managers,” Greenwald told USA TODAY.
The Hatch Act prohibits federal employees , which includes IRS workers, from engaging in partisan political activity while working or otherwise representing the federal government. They may only participate in such activities in a personal capacity while off the clock.
Accordingly, there are no credible reports of the IRS endorsing Harris − or any other federal agency endorsing a presidential candidate.
USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response. The IRS declined to comment on the record.
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