Think Progress

New Report Concludes Bush’s Justice Department Engaged In Illegal Hiring Practices

The AP reports that a new 140-page Justice Department report concludes that former Bush loyalists at the DoJ broke the law by allowing politics to influence hiring decisions:

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.

See the full report here.

In early 2006, Goodling directed an assistant attorney general to give her unprecedented authority to hire and fire political staffers “outside the system.” In March 2006, Gonzales signed a highly confidential order delegating to his then-chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, and Goodling “the authority, with the approval of the Attorney General, to take final action in matters pertaining to the appointment, employment, pay, separation, and general administration” of virtually all non-civil-service employees of the Justice Department.

In May 2007, Goodling admitted in congressional testimony that she had “taken inappropriate political considerations into account” and acknowledged that she “crossed the line of the civil service rules.” Sampson has not admitted wrongdoing.

Despite the conclusions of the new report, current Attorney General Michael Mukasey has refused to say whether Gonzales politicized the Department of Justice. During a Senate hearing earlier this month, Sen. Joseph Biden asked Mukasey directly about this:

BIDEN: Did you find that some of those enormously dedicated people engaged in politicizing the administration of Justice?

MUKASEY: No. No. Otherwise I would not characterize them as enormously dedicated.

Watch it:

The new DoJ report “does not indicate whether Goodling or former Gonzales chief of staff Kyle Sampson could face any charges.” Thus far, Mukasey has shown a reluctance to hold previous Justice Department officials accountable for breaking the law.

Update House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers: “I have directed my staff to closely review this matter and to consider whether a criminal referral for perjury is needed.”


36 Responses to “New Report Concludes Bush’s Justice Department Engaged In Illegal Hiring Practices”

  1. WaltB says:

    Oh, duh – there needs to be some kind of humor in how long it takes a partisan department to figure out they did something wrong, much less actually do something about it.


  2. raynman says:

    My yet to be born grandchildren might know of all the duplicity that took place under this regime… its for damn sure that I won’t live long enough…


  3. Patty says:

    Interesting to note that Monica Goodling refused to be interviewed for this investigation.

    Loyal Bushies.

    Let the nightmare end.


  4. Witch1 says:

    Why even bother….Nothing is going to get done untill we get all the corrupt polatician’s out of office and that mean’s on both side’s…Just another Monday and Monday’s never were any good any way except for your employer’s…March off and punch the old time clock…Friday’s are the best at 5P.M….P,B & J everyone…Today that stand’s for Peace, Blessings and Justice..


  5. 5th Estate says:

    So according to Mukasey the buck stops with Goodling.

    And what about all those people she hired for their partisan political qualifications that are STILL EMPLOYED in the DOJ?


  6. Paul W says:

    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.

    Another stunning revelation of something we already knew.

    The new DoJ report “does not indicate whether Goodling or former Gonzales chief of staff Kyle Sampson could face any charges.” Thus far, Mukasey has shown a reluctance to hold previous Justice Department officials accountable for breaking the law.

    Followed by the entirely predictable report that nothing will be done about it.

    http://progressiveworldreview.com


  7. unbelievable says:

    The new DoJ report “does not indicate whether Goodling or former Gonzales chief of staff Kyle Sampson could face any charges.” Thus far, Mukasey has shown a reluctance to hold previous Justice Department officials accountable for breaking the law.

    Of course they won’t face any charges. So far, no one has, so why would these folks be any different? There’s so much corruption on Capital Hill that they all ignore it, hoping that when it comes tehir urn to be called out, everyone else will ignore that too.


  8. theswan says:

    They just can’t quite seem to come around and blame that person who was in charge, Alberto. Blind Justice must be better than no justice at all at the Justice Department.


  9. McWars says:

    Nancy finds time to do interviews in vanity magazines, but can’t impeach the long line of traitors.

    How’s that anti-war mom faring in the polls in that California district, by the way?


  10. MCMetal says:

    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.

    So why then is that moron from a joke of a supposed law school on TV instead of on trial/in jail ?


  11. McWars says:

    Just who is this Mukasey figure anyway? You get a viable list of known contenders to replace Gonzo, and they pluck this guy out of nowhere.


  12. McWars says:

    So much for the goodness of giving Monica Underling immunity, McMetal. Giving immunity to the culprit to nab the culprit? That makes sense.


  13. shoeless says:

    5th Estate Says:
    ——————————————————————————–

    So according to Mukasey the buck stops with Goodling.

    And what about all those people she hired for their partisan political qualifications that are STILL EMPLOYED in the DOJ?

    I don’t know. Regent University won’t take them back.


  14. Exit Stage Left says:

    McWars Says:
    Just who is this Mukasey figure anyway? You get a viable list of known contenders to replace Gonzo, and they pluck this guy out of nowhere.

    He was the guy they had pictures of sticking his lil d!ck where it didn’t belong.


  15. pete says:

    Aside from numbers, the Republicriminals have the assurance of certainty. They Believe that Chimpy will keep them out of jail and they Believe that Jebus will keep them out of Hell.

    That’s why they’re still so dangerous.


  16. impeachcheneythenbush says:

    Bush and Cheney aren’t the only people impeachable under the U.S. Constitution. So is Mukasey. He is flat out refusing to do his job, when he won’t enforce subpoenas whether for people to testify in front of congressional committees or for the release of requested documents from the Bush administration. The only difference between Gonzales and Mukasey is the latter is more intelligent. But he facilitates the breaking of laws by this administration as much as Gonzales or Ashcroft ever did.


  17. JMOHR says:

    It is simply not enough to charge someone with perjury or send a strongly worded letter to the “administration.” This was an attempt by the Republican party to create a one party state. Infiltrating career civil service ranks merely gave them insurance by creating a permanent fifth column should the Democrats take the White House. Rest assured that in every Republican administration, we will see the same tactic utilized so that in the end the Republicans will control the machinery of government. There must be a purge of all career civil servants and a new, fair procedure. This is no different than rooting out Nazis after WWII.


  18. Wayne says:

    And the Democratic chairs respond to obvious lawbreaking by sending another nasty letter to the AG, which is promptly filed in round file #13.


  19. Bluegene says:

    Schummer must be delighted with his support of the current AG who has proven himself an integral component in the Bush crime family.


  20. Zimzone says:

    Boy, did Gonzo disappear from the face of the Earth, or what?

    Is he selling used SUV’s in Texas or a lawyer for a strip mall?


  21. hussein toasterhead says:

    Zimzone Says:

    Boy, did Gonzo disappear from the face of the Earth, or what?

    Is he selling used SUV’s in Texas or a lawyer for a strip mall?

    July 28th, 2008 at 11:47 am

    Nah, he just went back to his old job.


  22. paleolib says:

    A 20-something nobody from Regent did not mastermind this attempt to pack career positions with political hacks. The instructions had to have come from higher up, almost certainly Gonzo, probably with an assist from KKKarl. No surprise that a Justice Dept. investigation didn’t go higher, especially when you consider who ordered the investigation. Other than the likelihood that we lose one amoral lawyer when Gooding gets disbarred or surrenders her license I wouldn’t expect to see anything done about this until the BushBots are gone, if then.


  23. Max-1 says:

    .

    Oh,
    So CONgressMAN Johnny, ‘NO ACTION’ but a CONman, CONyars is going to pen ANOTHER letter…

    America’s lost on his watch and all CONyers does is pen letters…

    .


  24. DieNowForPeace says:

    FCUK BUSH AND HIS ENABLER QUEEN PELOSI.


  25. the Lone Voice of Reason says:

    They had to engage in illegal hiring practices. How else would so many people from the Heritage Foundation could have got jobs?


  26. pete says:

    I certainly don’t think we should let Gonzo off the hook but, the master plan predates him. It was well under way long before Ashcroft got sick and lost his nerve.

    I think it’s safe to say that, since he’s about the only person left and it’s still ongoing, this illegal policy originated from the Office and person of our President. I don’t even think we can blame this one on Cheney. Not that he would shy from stacking the Justice Department. I just don’t think he would push barely literate Regent U grads.


  27. tarazan says:

    Mukasey is nothing but an extension to A.Gonzales days,he and Gonzales were hired to play the ‘Yes’ men for Bush and Cheney.
    The irony here is that Mukasey was reommended to the Bush administration by Senator Schumer(D-NY) who was the loudest voice in the Senate against Gonzales and sought his resignation.


  28. WaltTheMan says:

    Cheney is barely literate. He is nothing more then a street gangster with a title.


  29. Wayne says:

    Thus far, Mukasey has shown a reluctance to hold previous Justice Department officials accountable for breaking the law.

    And in other news, the Democratic Leadership has shown a reluctance to hold any officials or corporations accountable for breaking the law, including Bush, Cheney, Rove and the Telcos.


  30. Troubled Texan says:

    Howdy Folks,

    A New Report Concludes Bush’s Justice Department Engaged In Illegal Hiring Practices.

    Oh My God! These malcontents should be drawn and quartered!

    Oh wait, John Conyers is the House Judiciary Committee Chairman.

    John Conyers: “I have directed my staff to closely review this matter and to consider whether a criminal referral for perjury is needed.”

    As one country singer stated in a recent song: Blah, Blah, Blah.

    John Conyers has been running his yap for two years now.

    There’s no way in Hell Conyers will hold any Republicans responsible.

    Get used to it!

    Troubled


  31. Marie says:

    With the end of the line in clear sight, it
    s hard to get too excited about the congress actually doing something insofar as prosecuting these criminals.
    Of course, they should all be brought to trial – held without bail until so – and when they are found guilty, they should receive the highest sentences with no pardon in the future — but that is my daydream – I don’t think it will ever happen.


  32. Hawkeye says:

    At the very least, everyone from Gonzalez to Goodling should be immediately disbarred. Jail would follow if there was any justice in this country.


  33. curious says:

    If you wait for Bush’s lap dog Mukasey to do the right thing, you might as well wait for a ufo to land on the whitehouse lawn.

    Start from the top and arrest them all. including Mukasey. I am for tar and feathering all of them. Then forcing them to sit for years listening to George Bush and Pat Robertson speak. Forget physical torture. But for goodness sake don’t leave out Gonzales. This mental midget should get the chair closest to Bush’s picture. And the first time he gets a woodie from looking, he should be zapped.


  34. Doc Rock says:

    The real question is how will they rectify the ‘injuries” and make the victims of this discrimination “whole”????


  35. Jacqueline says:

    It’s almost laughable , Bush -Cheney basically get away with high crimes and misdemeanors. If democrats hadnt voted in enough numbers to overcome the Rove/Fix we wouldnt even know how deep these ideolouges fixed our government.
    But we elected candidates who’ll only go so far to fix what really needs fixing. I mean come on , politicans know its wrong to buy the lot up the street from them then earmark a $10 million mall across the street.Cheney’s profit in trust at Halliburton will set Lynn’s clan up for generations to come . So at the crux of it they care but only so much. Watch the DOJ, TSA, OLC, CDC, EPA, and on and on.


  36. Briseadh na Faire says:


    John Conyers: “I have directed my staff to closely review this matter and to consider whether a criminal referral for perjury is needed.”

    Oh…gee…John Conyers…ooooo, I’m soooo afraid…..NOT!!!

    Thanks to you, Mr. Conyers, we no longer have a Constitutional Republic. And to think, in 2005, you were calling for impeachment. You’ve sold out your country. I hope whatever you got for it was worth it….



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