Ex-AG Gonzales Wins Dismissal From Suit Alleging DOJ Hiring Blacklist
A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has dismissed former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales from a lawsuit alleging that the U.S. Department of Justice illegally blacklisted job applicants based on their political beliefs during the administration of President George W. Bush.
U.S. District Judge John Bates said the case against the ex-AG and other defendants could not proceed because the plaintiffs had not exhausted their remedies in the civil service system before filing suit, reports the Washington Post.
“The court agrees that misconduct by senior government officials—especially when it implicates the First Amendment–is gravely serious and must not be condoned,” says Bates in his written opinion. “But defendants have raised several threshold issues that potentially prevent this court from considering the merits of plaintiffs’ case.”
Also effectively dismissed from the suit by Bates’ ruling yesterday are Monica Goodling, who served as the department’s White House liaison; the AG’s former chief of staff, Michael Elston; and two other individuals.
