Dana Cawthon has withdrawn from the race for Shreveport City Council District D.
“It is with great sorrow that I will be withdrawing from the Shreveport City Council. I am proud to be a citizen that is concerned with the well-being of our great City of Shreveport,” Cawthon said. “There is nothing that will prevent me from giving 100 percent to fostering an environment that supports entrepreneurs and existing business owners. Even though I am a state educational institution employee, my salary is being paid with federal dollars which excludes me from running for an elected position.”
Louisiana’s ruling sited La. R.S. 42:66(B) stating “persons employed by a professional educational capacity in an educational institution may at the same time hold an appointive or elective office.”
Cawthon said via a press release, “Despite the efforts to receive the appropriate approvals for running this race in advance, she received the final ruling from SBA that her position falls under 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.
“I appreciate everyone’s encouragement and support. However, this does not end my desire to assist where necessary to improve our city and economic development efforts.”
