CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Chesapeake Sheriff Dave Rosado, who lost his reelection bid in November and will leave office on Jan. 1, has been accused of coercing his staff to directly participate in activities related to his campaign — violations of the federal Hatch Act — according to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC).
The OSC said in a press release that Rosado and Undersheriff Christopher Pascal committed "multiple, serious" violations of the Hatch Act, which restricts government employees from participating in political activities.
Rosado lost a write-in bid for sheriff after losing the Republican primary party nomination to Wallace Chadwick III. Chadwick won the election in November by a vote of around 60 percent to 40 percent.
The OSC alleges that Rosado and Pascal "repeatedly used Sheriff's Office personnel, resources, and events to advance Rosado's candidacy" for reelection.
According to the OSC, Rosado and Pascal are accused of the following:
- Solicitation of Political Contributions: Both officials directly solicited monetary contributions from subordinate Sheriff's Office employees, including confronting an employee about a $500 contribution and asking employees about the status of donations.
- Coercive Fundraising Practices and Use of Staff for Campaign Events: Sheriff's Office supervisors were assigned quotas to sell tickets for campaign fundraisers and were expected to personally contribute the equivalent value of tickets that they did not sell. Employees were directed to organize, staff, and clean-up at fundraisers and other campaign events. Employees were tasked with canvassing neighborhoods, placing campaign signs, and working polling sites during both the primary and general elections.
- Political Pressure and Retaliation Concerns: Sheriff's Office employees were encouraged to engage in campaign-related social media activity and attend political party meetings. Employees reported fear of retaliation for insufficient support of Rosado's campaign.
- Misuse of Official Events for Campaigning: Rosado and Pascal organized official events that were publicly promoted as staff recognition or community events but were used to distribute campaign materials, display campaign signage, and solicit support from employees. These events were funded in part by Rosado's campaign committee and Sheriff's Office vendors.
“These complaints identify a sustained and coordinated effort to leverage public resources and personnel for political gain," said Charles Baldis, OSC senior counsel. The OSC filed two complaints with the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board about these allegations.
Rosado responds:
I strongly disagree with the findings referenced by the Office of Special Counsel. As a constitutional officer, I do not believe the OSC has jurisdiction or authority over a local sheriff or my undersheriff under the Hatch Act.
We believe these allegations are legally flawed and politically motivated, both Undersheriff Christopher Pascal and I will be formally appealing this decision through the appropriate legal channels.
At all times, my focus has remained on serving the citizens of Chesapeake and carrying out the duties of this office lawfully and responsibly. Because this matter is now under appeal, I will not comment further.
What is the Hatch Act?
"The Hatch Act, a federal law passed in 1939, limits certain political activities of federal employees, as well as some state, D.C., and local government employees who work in connection with federally funded programs. The law’s purposes are to ensure that federal programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion, to protect federal employees from political coercion in the workplace, and to ensure that federal employees are advanced based on merit and not based on political affiliation." - U.S. Office of Special Counsel
