A report released last week by the Department of Justice’s inspector general and internal ethics office revealed the widespread politicization of hiring practices within the agency. During the tenures of both Attorney Generals John Ashcroft and Alberto Gonzalez, highly qualified, left-leaning applicants for important civil service positions were passed over in favor of less competent conservative applicants. The practice violated basic Civil Service laws, which forbids the use of political considerations in hiring decisions. Senior aides to the Attorney General, notably Monica Goodling, had illegally used political criteria, including candidates’ stances on “god, guns + gays,” to weed out those with liberal ideologies.
For more on the story, click here. The complete report is also available at the OPIA office in Pound 329.