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Senior Democrats on Tuesday strongly criticized the Department of Justice after an internal report revealed that improper hiring practices were used to select entry-level employees and interns. The internal document confirmed that applicants to the DoJ’s Honors Program and Summer Law Intern Program (SLIP) were vetted for their political and ideological leanings. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said the report shows that there is a “politicization of hiring practices at the Department.” Leahy’s House counterpart, Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.), condemned DoJ for “putting politics where it doesn’t belong.” The two Judiciary panel chairmen said the recent transgressions are part of the White House’s effort to influence DoJ. “I suspect further reports from the inspector general will continue to shed light on the extent to which the Bush administration has allowed politics to affect — and infect — the department’s priorities,” said Leahy. Meanwhile, Conyers vowed that his panel would “continue to press the White House about its role in this matter.” A leading Republican also denounced the violations outlined in the reports but added that “the misdeeds of a few individuals should not tarnish the reputation of the Department of Justice as a whole.” “I am confident that the department will take the appropriate action of quickly implementing the inspector general’s recommendations,” said Rep. Lamar Smith (Texas), ranking Republican on the House Judiciary Committee. Attorney General Michael Mukasey vowed to oversee a rapid implementation of all of the report’s recommendations. “The consideration of political affiliations in the hiring of career Department employees is impermissible and unacceptable,” Mukasey stated. |
