Justice Investigating Political Hiring By Goodling And Others

The Department of Justice is investigating whether current and former staff used "improper political" considerations to fill non-political career positions within the agency, according to a letter from the department's inspector general.

This comes one week after Monica Goodling, a former top aide to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, testified that she had considered the political background of prospective applicants to fill non-political, career positions within the department.

Glenn A. Fine, the department's inspector general, and H. Marshall Jarrett, counsel in the department's Office of Professional Responsibility, notified the chairman and ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday that they had expanded an already-open investigation to follow up on claims Goodling made during an appearance last week before the House Judiciary Committee.