The inspector general at the Justice Department says a top aide to former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales used political considerations in screening candidates for employment at the agency in violation of federal law.
Appearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, inspector general Glenn Fine said a top adviser to former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Monica Goodling, improperly used partisan considerations in the hiring of agency lawyers and immigration judges.
美国司法部督察长法恩对国会参议院司法委员会说，前司法部长冈萨雷斯的高级助理莫尼卡.古德林在雇用司法部律师和移民法官时不适当地搀杂了党派因素的考虑。
"We concluded that Goodling regularly considered political affiliations in screening candidates for career positions at the department, which also was misconduct and violated department policy and federal civil service law," said Fine.
“我们的结论是：古德林在选拔司法部的正式雇员时一般都要考虑候选人的政治党派因素，这不仅是不当行为，而且也违反了司法部的政策和联邦公务员事务法律。”
Fine says Goodling chose candidates seen as pro-Republican and supportive of President Bush and rejected those she deemed too liberal.
法恩说，古德林选择的候选人被认为是亲共和党和支持布什总统的，她拒绝录用那些她认为具有太多自由主义色彩的人。
"This was particularly damaging to the department because it resulted in high quality candidates to important details [jobs] being rejected in favor of less qualified candidates," he said.
“这种做法尤其有害于司法部，因为这样做的结果使胜任重要工作的高素质人材被拒之门外，而有利于那些条件较差的候选人。”
Federal law and Justice Department policy require that career officials be hired on merit, and prohibit discrimination based on political affiliations - a point noted by committee chairman Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat.
联邦法律和司法部的政策要求根据个人的表现来雇用职业官员，禁止基于党派因素的歧视。参议院司法委员会主席、佛蒙特州的民主党人帕特里克.莱希也强调了这一点。
"By infusing politics into the hiring of career assistant attorney positions, senior career attorney positions, main Justice detailees, young career attorneys, and immigration judges, this administration and its operative have done serious damage to the rule of law," he said.
“在雇用助理律师、高级律师、年轻律师以及移民法官时搀杂进政治因素，布什行政当局及其司法部严重破坏了法治。”
Inspector General Fine blames the situation on a lack of oversight, but says there is no evidence that former Attorney General Gonzales was aware of Goodling's actions.
督察长法恩把这个问题归咎于缺乏监督，但是他说，并没有证据表明，前司法部长冈萨雷斯当时知道古德林的这些行动。
Fine described one case in which Goodling rejected a terrorism prosecutor for a job in counter-terrorism at the department because his wife was involved in local Democratic Party politics, and chose a less experienced lawyer.
在法恩描述的一个案例中，古德林拒绝让一位恐怖活动检察官在司法部做反恐工作，因为此人的妻子参与了当地民主党的政治活动。古德林选中的是一位经验较少的律师。
Senator Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, says there are serious implications to the actions.
纽约的民主党籍参议员查尔斯.舒默尔说，这些行动具有严重的影响。
"These revelations are not just a blow to the department's reputation, but they also affect our ability to keep the country safe, it seems," he said.
“这些被揭露出来的行为不仅是对司法部声誉的一次打击，而且看来还会影响保持我们国家安全的能力。”
Attorney General Michael Mukasey, who succeeded Gonzales, issued a statement saying he is disturbed by the findings of the inspector general. That statement did not go far enough for Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee.
接替冈萨雷斯的现任司法部长穆凯西发表的一项声明说，他对司法部督察长的调查结果感到不安。然而，参议院司法委员会中最高级别的共和党人、宾夕法尼亚州参议员阿伦.斯佩克特认为这一声明的份量还不够。
"I would like to see, frankly, a very forceful statement out of the Department of Justice as to what they intend to do, and what they think about it in some detail," said Specter. "They have the prosecution responsibility."
“坦率的说，我想看到的是，司法部发表一份非常强有力的声明，比较具体地说明他们的打算以及对这一事件的看法。他们有起诉的责任。”
Fine says the Justice Department has taken steps to ensure that political considerations are no longer used to screen applicants. Goodling no longer works at the department.
法恩说，司法部已采取措施确保在选拔申请人时不再有政治方面的考虑。古德林现已不在司法部工作。 |