1. (a) Each employee covered under this subpart retains the right to:

   1. (1) Participate in the nonpartisan activities of a civic, community, social, labor, or professional organization, or of a similar organization;
   2. (2) Be a member of a political party or other partisan political group and participate in its activities to the extent consistent with other Federal law;
   3. (3) Attend a political convention, rally, fund-raising function, or other political gathering; and
   4. (4) Make a financial contribution to a political party, partisan political group, or to the campaign committee of a candidate for partisan political office.
2. (b) Subject to the provisions in § 734.406, an employee covered under this subpart may make a financial contribution to a political action committee through a voluntary allotment made under § 550.311(b) of this chapter if the head of the employee's agency permits agency employees to make such allotments to political action committees.

3. (c) An employee who is covered under this subpart and is a payroll official in an agency where employees are permitted to make allotments to political action committees may process the completed direct deposit forms for voluntary allotments which have been made to such committees under § 550.311(b) of this chapter.

   Example 1:An employee, or a noncareer SES employee who is subject to subpart D of part 734, may attend a political convention or rally solely as a spectator. However, the employee and noncareer SES employee may not participate in demonstrations or parades which are sponsored by a political party, a partisan political group, or an individual who is running for nomination to be a candidate for partisan political office.

   Example 2:An employee may attend a political party's annual barbecue, but he or she may not organize, distribute invitations to, or sell tickets to the barbecue.

   Example 3:An employee who desires to contribute to a political action committee through an allotment personally may obtain blank direct deposit forms from his or her payroll office. The employee may not complete the direct deposit form while he or she is on duty, on Federal property, or in a Federally owned or leased vehicle. The employee also may not personally deliver his or her completed direct deposit form, or the completed direct deposit form of another employee, to his or her payroll office. However, the employee may mail the completed form to his or her agency payroll office.

[61 FR 35101, July 5, 1996]