§ 12.11. Offenses against civil service and disabilities of civil service employees.

No person shall attempt to use any political endorsement in connection with any appointment in the classified service. No person shall use or promise to use, directly or indirectly, any official authority or influence, whether possessed or anticipated, to secure or attempt to secure for any person, an appointment or advantage in appointment to a position in the classified service, or an increase in pay or other advantage in employment in any such position, for the purpose of influencing the vote or political action of any person, or for a consideration.

No employee in the classified service, and no member of the commission, shall directly or indirectly, pay or promise to pay any assessment, subscription, or contribution for any political organization or purposes, or solicit or take part in soliciting any such assessment, subscription or contribution. No person shall solicit any such assessment, subscription or contribution of any employee in the classified service.

No employee in the classified service shall be a member of any national, state or local committee of a political party, or an officer or member of a committee of a political party, or an officer or member of a committee of a partisan political club, or shall take any part in the management of the affairs of any political party, or in any political campaign, except to exercise his or her right as a citizen privately to express his or her opinions and cast his or her vote. Any classified employee who violates any of the foregoing provisions of this section shall forfeit his or her office or position.*

No person elected to public office within the metropolitan government shall, during the term for which he or she was elected, be appointed to any other position in the metropolitan government, except as otherwise specifically provided in this Charter.

No person shall, directly or indirectly, give, render, pay, offer, solicit, or accept any money, service, or other valuable consideration, for or on account of any appointment, proposed appointment, promotion, or proposed promotion to, or any advantages in, a position in the classified service.

No employee of the department of personnel and no member of the commission, or other person, shall defeat, deceive, or obstruct any person in his or her right to examination, eligibility, certification, or appointment hereunder, or furnish to any person any special or secret information for the purposes of affecting the rights or prospects of any person with respect to employment in the classified service.

Any officer or employee of the metropolitan government who violates the provisions of this section shall forfeit his or her office or position.

(Amended by referendum election of November 6, 2018, Amdt. 6)

* Editor's note— Tennessee Code Annotated §7-51-1501 provides as follows: "Notwithstanding the provisions of any county, municipal, metropolitan, or other local governmental charter to the contrary, and notwithstanding the provisions of any resolution or ordinance adopted by any such county, municipality or other local governmental unit to the contrary, every employee of every such local governmental unit shall enjoy the same rights of other citizens of Tennessee to be a candidate for any state or local political office, the right to participate in political activities by supporting or opposing political parties, political candidates, and petitions to governmental entities; provided, further, the city, county, municipal, metropolitan or other local government is not required to pay the employee's salary for work not performed for the governmental entity; and provided, further, that unless otherwise authorized by law or local ordinance, an employee of a municipal government or of a metropolitan government shall not be qualified to run for elected office in the local governing body of such local governmental unit in which the employee is employed."