Justice Dept. Cherry-Picked Conservatives
Here's another outrage that has stumbled out in the twilight of George W. Bush: Under the leadership of John Ashcroft and, especially, Alberto Gonzales, the Justice Department illegally sought to hire conservative lawyers, according to a preliminary report from the department's own inspector general.
Here’s another outrage that has stumbled out in the twilight of George W. Bush: Under the leadership of John Ashcroft and, especially, Alberto Gonzales, the Justice Department illegally sought to hire conservative lawyers, according to a preliminary report from the department’s own inspector general.
Dig, Root, GrowNew York Times:
Applications that contained what were seen as “leftist commentary” or “buzz words” like environmental and social justice were often grounds for rejecting applicants, according to e-mails reviewed by the inspector general’s office. Membership in liberal organizations like the American Constitution Society, Greenpeace, or the Poverty and Race Research Action Council were also seen as negative marks.
Affiliation with the Federalist Society, a prominent conservative group, was viewed positively.
Representative John Conyers Jr., the Michigan Democrat who heads the House Judiciary Committee, saw the report as affirmation that the Justice Department had crossed the line in “putting politics where it doesn’t belong.”
This year, we’re all on shaky ground, and the need for independent journalism has never been greater. A new administration is openly attacking free press — and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
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