Preference in hiring

Wednesday, July 30, 2008 | 2:04 a.m.

Justice Department jobs fall into one of two categories, political appointments or career positions. The political appointees include those chosen by the president and approved by the Senate, such as policymaking U.S. attorneys and assistant attorneys general, and the career employees include assistant U.S. attorneys and immigration judges. Civil service laws state clearly that career positions cannot be filled on the basis of politics or ideology.

But the department, especially under the tenure of former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, regularly violated the law by filling career positions with individuals who were perceived to share the Bush administration’s philosophies. A new report issued Monday by the department’s offices of inspector general and professional responsibility identified the lawbreakers as the department’s former White House liaisons, Monica Goodling and Jan Williams, and former chief of staff to the attorney general, Kyle Sampson.

The latest report followed another investigation that concluded Gonzales’ cronies played favorites in selecting interns and entry-level attorneys. Looking at the latest findings, though, it appears as though just about everyone in the department was hired based on a political litmus test.

To screen applicants, Goodling wanted interviewers to ask questions such as: “What is it about George W. Bush that makes you want to serve him?” Or this: “Tell us about your political philosophy. There are different groups of conservatives, by way of example: social conservative, fiscal conservative, law and order Republican.”

It is no wonder, then, that a 19-year assistant U.S. attorney who was an experienced terrorism prosecutor was passed over for a choice counterterrorism detail in 2006 because his wife was a prominent Democratic elected official and vice-chairwoman of a Democratic Party organization. The position went instead to a registered Republican with only two years of experience as an assistant U.S. attorney and no counterterrorism background.

We trust that the next president will follow civil service laws in hiring career employees within the department. The last thing this country needs is a repeat of the lawlessness committed under the Bush administration.