This means that the Department of Energy or the University of California’s assets, resources, space, staffing, funding, systems, or materials cannot be used for political advocacy or expression or to support activities that might reasonably be viewed as partisan or political in nature. Doing so is in violation of Lab policy and, in some instances, is against federal, state, and local laws.

Please note that all tours or visits by an elected official – federal, state, or local – must be coordinated with both the Lab’s Protocol Office and Government and Community Relations. 

Here are some examples of permitted and not permitted political activities:

Lab employees may: Lab employees should not:
Use personal resources (e.g., social media accounts and personal devices) on their own time to engage in political advocacy or expression Act or appear to be acting in their Lab role or as a Lab spokesperson when supporting or opposing political candidates, positions, or viewpoints
Factually identify their Lab affiliation, title, and/or role, but must state clearly that they are speaking for themselves and not on behalf of the Lab when participating in political activities (e.g., advocacy, lobbying, endorsement) Support or oppose particular candidates or ballot measures using Lab time or equipment (e.g., facilities, computers, email, letterhead, networking and IT resources, Lab-sponsored social media accounts, Lab Zoom accounts, etc.)
Review and familiarize themselves with the Lab’s policies, including the Ethics and Conduct Policy Act on behalf of the Lab when communicating with state or federal officials, unless authorized
Engage in unacceptable use of Lab IT in a manner that can offend community members such as inflammatory language and images.

RESOURCES