Allegations against a Wichita attorney reflect how the Bush administration put ideology above competence and even the law. According to a report by the Justice Department’s inspector general, Bradley Schlozman, a former top department official now living in Wichita, violated federal law by considering politics and ideology as factors in hiring and transferring career attorneys. This is especially galling given that Schlozman’s job was to enforce federal laws prohibiting discrimination. But according to the inspector general, he unlawfully discriminated against qualified job applicants – and then lied to Congress about it.
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24 Comments
Don’t worry, lying to Congress is only a crime if a Democrat does it.
It will be interesting to see if the new Justice Department prosecutes him.
What law firm is he with?
A typical bush appt., put in someone who’ll do just the opposite of what his agency or department is charged to do or enforce. That is at the root of the decline of our country and economy.
I was almost surprised that he was residing in Wichita, but then I’ve long called Ks. a Republican Refuge. If things get too uncomfortable for bush, cheney and rove, they’ll probably take up residence too, or at least buy themselves a safe house.
He sullies the legal profession.
Being a govt. employee and an atty., how does gmc feel about the guy? Is it ok if you are a repub.?
“But according to the inspector general, he unlawfully discriminated against qualified job applicants – and then lied to Congress about it.”
This behavior from the Bush Justice Department? Tell me it is not true!
Lying to congress, didn’t Martha Stewart go to jail for that. Should this guy at the least be disbarred, or do you only get disbarred in the legal profession and become a leper if you lie to congress about having sex?
We need gmc’s expertise on this one!
How about some objectivity from the press and the public. These are still only allegations. I’ve seen IG’s investigators at work and, frankly, I wouldn’t make odds on their conclusions. It’s clear here that Phillip is trying to pin ‘guilt’ on President Bush by association with Schlozman. Well, Mr. Schlozman isn’t indicted for anything let alone ‘guilty.’ Yet so many libs are ready to make the ‘guilt by association’ leap even before there is guilt. This is just more character assassination by Wichita Eagle editorial staff. Watch out Mr. Scholzman, before long Phillip and Rhonda will be handing out torches and pitchforks to all the liberal peasants. That is, if they can tear themselves away from the proverbial grassy knoll where they sit behind the telescopic sights of their political drollery.
Holder pledges to review decision by Justice Dept. not to prosecute Schlozman. He may not be practicing in Wichita for long! Maybe he can get a pre-emptive pardon from bush.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/01/15/national/w090657S73.DTL&feed=rss.business
Phantom and while he is at it maybe he can look into his own actions in getting pardons for known bomb makers and a man on the FBI most wanted list.
Hipocracy thy name is democrat.
Isn’t this the guy whose personnel file is marked “not suitable for future federal employment”?
Wasn’t aware of the criminality of getting pardons, for anyone.
I hope he’ll also decide to prosecute Gonzo.
Phantom it’s called ethics. Something that is only for republicans. Remember when Norm Coleman was chastised for not paying some taxes and now we have a future Sec of the Treasury who hasn’t paid taxes he has owed for years.
Do as I say not as I do. Yep this is change we can all believe in.
Phantom as for the prosecutions you are hoping for. Don’t hold your breath. To do this would open the door to their own shortcomings.
Didn’t seem to have hurt Coleman too much. Geithner has been chastised too. I’d say that’s about even. BTH according to the IRS 50% in a similar position to the one Geithner held, fail to pay the payroll taxes. Pretty common mistake.
Schloz is just another ideologue who took the “if you’re not with us, you’re agin us” a little too literally.
Politicians always point to the decisions or the ‘career govt. employees’ when they want to point to the independence or professionalism of the source. That is corrupted when you have partisan hacks control the dept. who then assign, promote, hire and fire due to political considerations.
These actions can not be tolerated and undermine or very system of govt.
Even Gmc shouldn’t be subject to that. Prosecutions need to follow the findings.
Here’s a little bio on the schloz.
Bradley Schlozman
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Bradley SchlozmanBradley J. Schlozman (born February 6, 1971) is a American attorney who served as acting head of the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice under Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. An internal report by the Office of Professional Responsibility found that Schlozman violated rules against politicized hiring and lied to Congress about it while in that role.[1]
Schlozman was appointed interim U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri by Alberto Gonzales and assumed office on March 23, 2006.[2] Schlozman replaced Todd P. Graves, a conservative Republican who had refused to file voter fraud charges against a liberal activist group; Schlozman then filed charges against the group days before a closely contested Senatorial election.[3] In April 2007, when it became clear that he would not be confirmed by the Senate, Schlozman left the U.S. Attorney position to work at the Executive Office for United States Attorneys.[3]
Schlozman and his office have come under review by Congressional and Senate investigators regarding the dismissal of U.S. Attorneys and inappropriate politicization of his positions.[4] Schlozman resigned from the Department of Justice on August 17, 2007.[5][3] The Department of Justice Inspector General and the Office of Professional Responsibility found that Schlozman had violated the law and made false statements to Congress about his hiring decisions. While Schlozman testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee that his personnel decisions were not based on party ideology, the report cited emails and other communications in which Schlozman discussed hiring “right-thinking Americans” and ridding the Civil Rights Division of “pinkos”, “commies”, attorneys perceived to be unacceptably liberal, and anyone he did not consider “real Americans.” [6][7] Federal prosecutors declined to file charges of criminal perjury against Schlozman, drawing criticism from Senate Democrats.[8] However, in his January 15, 2009 Senate confirmation hearing, Attorney General nominee Eric Holder called Schlozman’s actions “deplorable” and vowed to re-examine the case for possible prosecution.[9]
Shortly after resigning from the Justice Department, Schlozman accepted a position with the Hinkle Elkouri Law Firm in Wichita, Kansas.[10]
From the Ks. City Star,
The New York Times said in an editorial today thatBar officials in Wichita, where Schlozman practices law, “cannot ignore his flouting of ethical standards.”
Will they ignore it?
You mean Bush put someone in charge of a department who hates what the department does and who actively tried to undercut the mission of that department?
And then he lied to cover up what he was doing?
I am SHOCKED! SHOCKED! I tell you.
heavy sarcasm
Even time I read the open threat of if mine is investigated and charged than yours could be investigated and charged too. Would you really want that to happen? The answer should be yes no matter whom they are or what political party they are. The time needs to come when we stop over looking the crimes and conduct of the political officials. To dismiss an open lie as “well they are a politician of course they are a liar!
Does more to belittle us then address them, it implies we do not have a moral level that is capable of being insulted.
What this man did was political and not illegal for the most part. To focus on him and not on those above him that allowed it. Is as much justice as the get-away driver getting ten years in prison And the actual bank robber getting house arrest.
“Even time I read” should have been “Every time I read”
Oh Brownlee, no wonder your paper just keeps shrinking and shrinking….and for the most part you have nothing but cry baby liberals on this blog.
Come up with something besides conservative bashing, you are so predictable and boring.