Kennedy Addresses Justice Department Report on Political Hiring

Press Release

KENNEDY ADDRESSES JUSTICE DEPARTMENT REPORT ON POLITICAL HIRING

Anthony Coley, spokesman for Senator Edward M. Kennedy, released the following statement by Senator Kennedy on today's report by the Department of Justice's Inspector General and Office of Professional Responsibility. The 140-page report found that Department officials broke the law and used "political or ideological" factors in its hiring of federal prosecutors, immigration judges, and other non-political career positions.

"The report released today proves that political affiliation clearly trumped merit in hiring by the Department. The scandal over the firings of U.S. Attorneys has already received considerable attention, but today's report shows the depth to which politics tainted all aspects of the hiring of federal prosecutors. I'm particularly appalled by the report's disclosure that politics also corrupted the hiring process for immigration judges. Immigration judges make life-altering, and even life-saving, decisions on behalf of thousands of immigrants and refugees every year. Hiring people based on their political affiliation instead of their immigration expertise is illegal and inexcusable. The officials responsible must be held fully accountable for their actions, and the Attorney General must take steps to remedy this interference with the rule of law."

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