The First Amendment gets a lot of attention, and rightfully so. The last clause, however, is often ignored. It says that “Congress shall make no law . . . abridging . . . the right of the people peaceably . . . to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
Federal government employees’ rights to “petition the government” are somewhat restricted. In fact, Congress has made it a crime for federal government employees to “petition the government” on behalf of others. This is in 18 U.S.C. § 205.