Judiciary Committee Set To Open Investigations Into VOTING SECTION Of DOJ (McClatchy)

[kpete]

House and Senate Judiciary Committees are set to open investigations into hiring practices in the Voting Section of the U.S. Department of Justice

Posted on Sun, May. 06, 2007email thisprint this
Congress considers broadening Justice Department inquiry
By Greg Gordon and Margaret Talev
McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON - Congressional investigators are beginning to focus on accusations that a top civil rights official at the Justice Department illegally hired lawyers based on their political affiliations, especially for sensitive voting rights jobs.

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A congressional aide, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said that the House and Senate Judiciary Committees want to look beyond Goodling to see whether other department officials may have skewed recruiting and hiring to favor Republican applicants. Investigators have heard allegations that Schlozman showed a political bias in hiring and hope the department will permit him to be interviewed voluntarily, the aide said. Rich recently told Congress that 15 of the 35 attorneys in the voting rights section have resigned since 2005. Former employees of the Voting Rights Section told McClatchy of at least eight hires since then of employees with conservative political connections.

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The Boston Globe, which obtained resumes of civil rights hires under the Freedom of Information Act, reported Sunday that seven of 14 career lawyers hired under Schlozman were members of either the Federalist Society or the Republican National Lawyers Association.

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Schlozman's hiring favored lawyers "with one primary characteristic - links to the Republican Party and right-wing groups," said David Becker, who left the section the same day as Rich.


more at:
http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/news/columnists/greg_gordon/17188481.htm

[Forkboy]

1. Well,this needs a K&R then!

:kick:

[aquart]

2. Agreed. K&R.

[bleever]

3. Yeah, but they'd never use the NSA to spy on the Kerry campaign, right?

Right?

K&R.

[L. Coyote]

4. Recommended. Plus MORE: Missouri attorney a focus in USA firings = Bradley Schlozman

The Bradley Schlozman case seems to top the list right now:

Missouri attorney a focus in firings
Senate bypassed in appointment of Schlozman
By Charlie Savage, Globe Staff | May 6, 2007
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2007/05/06/missouri_attorney_a_focus_in_firings

DU Discussion: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x832164

And, at the end of the day, I expect this to be an administration-wide pattern, especially with judges who serve long after the administration changes.