Dept. of Justice disgraced by hiring discrimination

The Senate Judiciary Committee discussed a report on politicized hiring at the Department of Justice in favor of conservative candidates. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said the report realizes his worst fears – pervasive partisan hiring in the Department of Justice.

Glenn Fine, the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Justice, said his investigation revealed that qualified candidates for hire at the Department were deselected because of liberal political beliefs. Politically conservative or neutral, yet under-qualified and junior applicants, were preferred. Fine said Monica Goodling, the Department’s former White House Liaison, regularly considered political affiliations in making hiring decisions.

Fine said the discrimination performed by Goodling and others in the Department violated the Constitution and civil law, but not criminal law, therefore criminal prosecution is not possible. But, Fine said the actions of those transgressors were revealed, and they have since left the Department so disciplinary actions are impossible as well.

Fine said inadequate supervision of the Department’s hiring practices led to the discrimination and as a result inexperienced candidates were hired into not only intern positions, but career positions as well. Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) called the details of the report a “despicable” and “beyond disgraceful.” Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) said he was disturbed that the Department of Justice had become so tainted.