WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senate Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Subcommittee Chairwoman Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) today called on Attorney General Michael Mukasey to restore accountability and hold those responsible for the recent politicizing in hiring practices at the agency. This is the second incident in less than one week that uncovered political favoritism at the Department. For more information, go to: http://mikulski.senate.gov/Newsroom/PressReleases/record.cfm?id=299429.

The text of the letter is below:

Dear Attorney General Mukasey,

As the appropriator who puts funds in the Federal checkbook for the Department of Justice and the chairman of the Committee responsible for oversight of the Department, we are very troubled but regrettably not surprised by the recent Inspector General report documenting the politicization of hiring practices for career positions at the Department. This Administration’s injection of improper political motives into the process of hiring young career attorneys through the Department’s prestigious Honors Program and interns through its Summer Legal Intern Program (SLIP) are not only a violation of the Department’s own regulations and illegal, they also undermine the integrity of the Department.

This is the second incident in less than one week finding political favoritism at the Department. First, there are the allegations that the Department may have played favorites with awarding competitive grants. Now, we learn that the Department has been rejecting applicants not based on skill or merit, but on political party affiliation and ideology.

The Inspector General recommended that the Department make several changes to its hiring and training practices to ensure that political affiliation and ideology are no longer grounds for rejecting applications for the Honors Program and SLIP. We urge you to implement these recommendations immediately.

We will not tolerate tax payer dollars being squandered for the kind of inappropriate and illegal political activity that has undermined the confidence of Americans in the Department. We look forward to hearing what steps you intend to take in your capacity as the nation’s chief law enforcer to hold accountable those who are responsible and make certain that the Department is free of the blatant partisanship that has infected it.