WP: Justice Dept. Widens Firings Probe

[Coexist]

Justice Dept. Widens Firings Probe
Investigation Extends to Hiring Practices in Different Parts of Agency

By Dan Eggen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 30, 2007; 3:36 PM

Justice Department investigators have again widened their probe of the firing of nine U.S. attorneys to include an examination of hiring practices in additional parts of the sprawling agency, including the troubled civil rights division and programs for beginning lawyers, officials said today.

"We have expanded the scope of our investigation to include allegations regarding improper political or other considerations in hiring decisions within the Department of Justice," Inspector General Glenn A. Fine and H. Marshall Jarrett, head of the Office of Professional Responsibility, wrote in a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee today.

The possibility of illegal hiring decisions could pose another challenge for Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, who is facing calls for his resignation and a potential no-confidence vote in the Senate over the U.S. attorney dismissals and his management of the department.

<snip>
Today's letter indicates that new areas of inquiry include hiring practices in the civil rights division, where veteran lawyers have left in recent years after what they called heavy-handed tactics by political appointees, such as overruling the views of division experts on pivotal voting rights cases in Georgia and Texas.

The rest...

[EST]

1. This is, perhaps, the single most important line in the entire article:

"Fine and Jarrett, who began their joint probe in March, could recommend internal disciplinary actions and have the power to refer cases for criminal prosecution."

Criminal prosecution is the only, final tool we have to start bringing some responsibility to our foul-ball government. Voluntary acknowledgment of responsibility for the problems and for cleaning up the mess seems totally beyond this criminal administration.

[Coexist]

2. we can only hope.

I am glad they are digging deeper.

[EST]

4. If this is really true, it is indeed gratifying!

[Missy Vixen]

3. K&R

And the story goes on, and on, and on...

Julie

[live love laugh]

5. What I want to know is...how can a corrupt entity investigate itself? nt