Chairs Conyers, Sánchez Consider Criminal Referral on DoJ Politicization Report

[kpete]

Chairs Conyers, Sánchez Consider Criminal Referral on DoJ Politicization Report
July 28th, 2008 by Jesse Lee
DOJ: Former aide broke law in hiring scandal
Lara Jakes Jordan, Associated Press Writer - July 28, 2008

A new Justice Department report concludes that politics illegally influenced the hiring of career prosecutors and immigration judges, and largely lays the blame on top aides to former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

Monday’s report singles out the department’s former White House liaison, Monica Goodling, for violating federal law and Justice Department policy by discriminating against job applicants who weren’t Republican or conservative loyalists.

Read the report (pdf) >>
http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/special/s0807/final.pdf
http://www.speaker.gov/blog/?p=1457

[L. Coyote]

1. DoJ report singles out the person who got immunity. BIG SURPRISE!!

[Supersedeas]

2. it is almost like Mukasey's investigator's had a narrow defined 'target'

[L. Coyote]

3. "... even qualified Republican applicants were ... ‘not Republican enough’ ..."

.... Today’s report describes ‘systematic’ violations of federal law by several former leaders of the Department of Justice,” said Conyers. “Apparently, the political screening was so pervasive that even qualified Republican applicants were rejected from Department positions because they were ‘not Republican enough’ .....

The Report also indicates that Monica Goodling, Kyle Sampson, and Alberto Gonzales may have lied to the Congress about these matters. I have directed my staff to closely review this matter and to consider whether a criminal referral for perjury is needed.”

“The House Judiciary Committee’s investigation into the politicization of the Department of Justice has been criticized by the Minority as a fishing expedition that has caught no fish,” said Sánchez. “This report, which found that Monica Goodling and many other Justice Department officials committed misconduct by violating both federal law and Department policy, adds to a growing public record that this Administration has tainted our system of justice.” .....

There are going to be a lot more civil suits brought by the smart lawyers who applied and were not hired!

[L. Coyote]

4. Goodling Rejected Job Applicant Because He Was Married to a Democrat

Goodling Rejected Job Applicant Because He Was Married to a Democrat
By Kate Klonick - July 28, 2008 - http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/07/goodling_rejected_job_applican.php


The OIG report released today on the politicized hiring at the Justice Department, details a number of the candidates that were de-selected for positions under Monica Goodling's watch. One of them, was an "experienced terrorism prosecutor. . had successfully prosecuted a high-profile terrorism case for which he received the Attorney General's Award for Exceptional Service."

Unfortunately for him, he had a wife who was a Democrat: ......