With the approval of their employing Member, House employees generally may engage in campaign activity outside congressional offices or facilities, on personal time, and not using House resources. Campaign activity by House staff is, however, subject to a number of restrictions which should be carefully reviewed by any House employee wishing to engage in campaign activity. These restrictions are set forth in the House Ethics Manual, pp. 135-151.
Can House staff engage in campaign activity?
Am I allowed to make a campaign contribution to my employing Member?
No. A federal criminal law prohibits House employees from making campaign contributions to their employing Member. Similarly, House employees generally should not make any “outlays” from personal funds for the benefit of the campaign, even if reimbursed by the campaign. For complete information, see House Ethics Manual, pp. 137-40.
May my Member’s campaign use a photo that was taken by the official office?
Maybe. Some official resources may be exhausted by the official office and subsequently used by the campaign. For example, if the official office takes a photo of the Member at an official event and uses it in a monthly newsletter, the official office could decide that the photo no longer serves an official purpose and may exhaust it. To exhaust the official photo, the official office must: 1) decide that the photo no longer has an official use: 2) take the photo down from everywhere that it exists on the official side, including any online archives or past social media posts; and 3) decide that the official office will never use the photo again. Once the campaign uses the photo, it may not be used by the official office. Please remember that some things, like images and videos of the House or Senate Floor or committee proceedings, may never be exhausted or used for partisan political purposes.