Reading Room Document

Effect of 18 U.S.C. § 600 on Proposal for Hiring Census Enumerators

Proposal to give preference for hiring as census enumerators to persons recommended by Democratic Party leaders does not violate 18 U.S.C. § 600, which punishes those who promise federal employment or benefits as an enticement to or reward for future political activity, but does not prohibit rewards for past political activity. Even if § 600 were read to prohibit a promise of employment or benefits as a reward for past political activity, under the proposed program neither Democratic Party leaders nor any potential census enumerators are being made such a promise. The OLC does not provide release dates for its opinions, so the release date listed is the date on which the opinion was authored. The original opinion is available at www.justice.gov/file/22516/download.

February 28, 1980