By LARA JAKES JORDAN, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 13 minutes ago
[/align][/align]WASHINGTON - Former Justice Department officials broke the law by letting Bush administration politics dictate the hiring of prosecutors, immigration judges and other career government lawyers, according to an internal investigation released Monday.
For nearly two years, top advisers to then-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales discriminated against applicants for career jobs who weren't Republican or conservative loyalists, the Justice report found.[/align]At times, their search for GOP activists delayed filling judgeships and threatened to clog immigration courts, the report said.
The federal government makes a distinction between "career" and "political" appointees, and it's a violation of civil service laws and Justice Department policy to hire career employees on the basis of political affiliation or allegiance.
DOJ: Former aides broke law in hiring scandal
