WASHINGTON (CNN) – A long-awaited Justice Department report on the troubled Civil Rights Division says a politically-motivated former chief of the Division violated a federal hiring law and made false statements to Congress about his controversial hiring practices.
Bradley Schlozman, however, will not be prosecuted. The report says the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia decided last week not to prosecute Schlozman for the violations found by investigators for the Inspector General.
The 65-page report by Inspector General Glenn Fine describes Schlozman as a staunch conservative who tried to punish liberal employees within the Civil Rights Division.
"Our investigation concluded that Schlozman... inappropriately considered political and ideological affiliations in hiring career attorneys and in other personnel actions affecting career attorneys in the Division," the report said. "We concluded that in doing so Schlozman violated federal law (The Civil Service Reform Act) and Department policy, both of which prohibit discrimination in federal employment based on political or ideological affiliations, and committed misconduct."
The Inspector General also faulted Schlozman for his congressional testimony.
"Our report concluded that Schlozman made false statements about whether he had considered political and ideological affiliations when he testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on June 5, 2007 and in his written responses to supplemental questions from the Committee."
The report is the fourth and final one to be issued by the Inspector General stemming from the controversial firing of U.S. Attorneys by top Justice Department officials, and allegations of extensive improper hiring practices by conservative Republican officials who used political criteria in their decision making.
From CNN Politics
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Now is the time to clean house at D.O.J remove the unjust political hack's he appointed if we still can Ihope it's not too late.
Unfortunately, that's how right-wing republicans are in general. If you're not a staunch conservative, then you're lacking in some way.
This is why Bush is considered such a poor leader. Putting ideology before good government is the flaw that the republicans built for themselves.
business as usual in the outgoing (hooray!) administration.
Typical Republican shennigans. Let's hope the next administration will put a stop to this kind of discrimination. The party represents my definition of homegrown terrorists.
I hope the idividuals he wronged bring a civil suit and take every dime he has and will ever earn. It's no surprise that a Bush-appointed US Attorney won't prosecute, maybe when Obama appoints honest US Attorneys we can revisit the case.
No surprise here – seems a little pathetic though considering they clearly say that he broke the law and gets away with it. Only a few days this bunch can get the hell out of town and do not come back!!!!!!!!
who knew...............
What is the sense of having these investigations if there is no accountability? Lip-service is not a substitution for prosecution.
Hrm...so you can lie to Congress, break the law, and walk away unscathed. This is the ideology Republicans are defending?
I dont understand why they are not proscuting as well
A white neo-con heading up the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. Given the sorry legacy of this (thankfully) out-going Administration, that figures.
if he's not going to be prosecuted then why do the report?
This fellow needs to go to prison. There seems to be this rule that the politically powerful Republicans should not be prosecuted for their crimes. This is exactly wrong.
They must be held accountable *because* of the authority in which they were trusted. These people used their considerable authority to break the law and violate the rights of American citizens.
In addition, it is unseemly to have members of this administration, such as the IG, closing the door on prosecutions on those who were members of this administration.
So, with him not being prosecuted for perjuring himself before Congress, what exactly is the deterrent to prevent future bad seeds from doing the same? Gotta love our government sometimes.
BRING IT FOREWARD SIR
So it's ok for legal officials to lie with no punishment/consequences for their behavior? What a great example to set!
I guess its ok to lie to Congress now and get away with it,as long as it isnt you or I.
Just 7 more days of this.
So...the head of the Civil Rights division violated his employees civil rights?..yeah that's a Bush guy...
Unbelievable...FOUR investigations to prove that this guy broke the law, and we it's finally clear you decide not to prosecute him. Sounds to me that all of this investigations were taking for political reasons and since Bush is leaving office there is no reason to go further with this. With responsibilty comes accountability, this man should stand trial and if guilty he should be in prison.
Every bank robber and thief ought to use that defense of "lets move forward – let's not waste time on the past". Why can't we prosecute these criminals starting from the President on down? It Nuremberg obviously those Nazis made a tactical error. Instead of, "I was just following orders" they should have said, "Let it go, it's old news, let's move on".
...you had better believe if this were a democrat firing republicans for simply being republicans, there would be a burning stake with someone tied to it in White House lawn... (figuratively speaking, of course.)
Why are such blatant abuses of power not being prosecuted?
Break the law, but not prosecuted... Where do we live?? I am going to out tonight and get hammered and drive around, if i get pulled over... I wonder if I get prosecuted??
You break the law... You face the consequences!!