Goodling: Politics Influenced DOJ Hiring
Testifying under a grant of immunity, the Justice Department’s former liaison to the White House explained how she did Google and Nexis searches on DOJ job applicants to learn their political leanings.
Testifying under a grant of immunity, the Justice Department’s former liaison to the White House explained how she did Google and Nexis searches on DOJ job applicants to learn their political leanings.
Monica Goodling said she also asked job references about candidates’ political inclinations, an action that “crossed the line probably,” according to the New York Times.
“I may have gone too far in asking political questions of applicants for career positions, and I may have taken inappropriate political considerations into account,” Goodling said. “And I regret those mistakes.”
Goodling also described an “uncomfortable” conversation with Attorney General Alberto Gonzales as an investigation was underway into the firings of several U.S. attorneys, the Washington Post says.
“He laid out for me his general recollection … of some of the process” of the firings and then asked if she had any reaction, Goodling said.
That appears to contradict testimony by Gonzales that he had not spoken to senior aides to protect the integrity of the investigation, according to the New York Times.
However, Goodling said she did not view the conversation as an attempt to influence her testimony. Goodling maintained she was not significantly involved in the firings.
