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Frequently Asked Questions Policy on Political Appointees

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Is this the first time OPM has put a policy in place covering the hiring of current or former political appointees for career civil service positions?

No.  It has been OPM policy since the Carter Administration and under every President since to ensure that politics plays no role when agencies hire political appointees for career Federal jobs.  In the past, OPM conducted a pre-hiring review of proposed appointments to the career competitive service during the year leading up to a Presidential election.  Effective January 1, 2010, OPM’s pre-hiring oversight expanded beyond the Presidential election year to ensure that, going forward, hiring of current or former political appointees -- whenever it occurs -- is fair, open, and free from political influence.

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