Grand Jury Said to Look at Attorneys’ Dismissals

[kpete]

Grand Jury Said to Look at Attorneys’ Dismissals

By ERIC LICHTBLAU
Published: June 17, 2008
WASHINGTON — Justice Department prosecutors are using a grand jury to investigate criminal accusations that grew out of the dismissals of nine United States attorneys, signaling a new stage in one aspect of the inquiry, lawyers in the case said Monday.

A lawyer connected to the case said a federal grand jury had recently begun to examine statements by Justice Department officials about hiring decisions in the civil rights division, where some employees said they were subject to a political litmus test.

“The issue was lying, whether the people caught up in this told the truth or not,” said the lawyer, who insisted on anonymity because grand jury proceedings are secret.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that Justice Department lawyers had brought what is known as a grand jury referral focusing on possible perjury by Bradley J. Schlozman, who was acting head of the civil rights division in 2003.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/17/washington/17attorneys.html?_r=1&ref=us&oref=slogin