An Investigation of Allegations of Politicized Hiring by Monica Goodling and Other Staff in the Office of the Attorney General
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U.S. Department of Justice An Investigation of Allegations of Politicized Hiring by Monica Goodling and Other Staff in the Office of the Attorney General U.S. Department of Justice U.S. Department of Justice Office of Professional Responsibility Office of the Inspector General July 28, 2008 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................ i CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION................................................................. 1 I. Scope of the Investigation.................................................................. 1 II. Methodology of the Investigation ....................................................... 2 III. Organization of this Report ............................................................... 3 CHAPTER TWO BACKGROUND.................................................................. 5 I. Monica Goodling ............................................................................... 5 II. Kyle Sampson ................................................................................... 6 III. Susan Richmond and Jan Williams................................................... 7 IV. Department Components and Personnel ........................................... 7 V. Hiring Standards ............................................................................ 11 A. Department Career and Political Attorney Positions ............... 11 B. Legal Standards..................................................................... 12 CHAPTER THREE GOODLING’S ROLE IN DEPARTMENT HIRING............. 17 I. Interview Questions ........................................................................ 18 II. Internet Research............................................................................ 20 III. Employment Forms......................................................................... 22 IV. Reference Checks............................................................................ 23 CHAPTER FOUR EVIDENCE AND ANALYSIS: PERMANENT CAREER ATTORNEY HIRING DECISIONS...................................................... 25 I. Interim U.S. Attorney Waiver Requests to Hire Career AUSAs.......... 25 A. Screening Waiver Requests .................................................... 28 1. The USAO for the District of Columbia ......................... 29 2. The USAO for the Western District of Missouri ............. 30 3. The USAO for the Western District of Washington ........ 32 i B. Recent Changes in the Waiver Process ................................... 35 C. Analysis................................................................................. 35 II. Other Career Attorney Positions ...................................................... 37 A. The USAO for the District of Columbia................................... 37 B. The USAO for the District of Colorado.................................... 39 C. EOUSA Deputy Director Position ........................................... 40 1. EOUSA Deputy Director Candidate #1.......................... 40 2. EOUSA Deputy Director Candidate #2.......................... 44 III. Conclusions Regarding Candidates for Career Positions .................. 45 CHAPTER FIVE EVIDENCE AND ANALYSIS: CANDIDATES FOR TEMPORARY DETAILS.................................................................... 47 I. Goodling ......................................................................................... 47 A. Candidate #1......................................................................... 48 B. Candidate #2......................................................................... 50 C. Candidate #3......................................................................... 52 D. Candidate #4......................................................................... 53 E. Candidate #5......................................................................... 54 F. Candidate #6......................................................................... 54 G. Candidate #7......................................................................... 57 H. Candidate #8......................................................................... 59 I. Conclusion ............................................................................ 59 II. Richmond and Williams .................................................................. 60 A. Candidate #9......................................................................... 61 B. Candidate #10 ....................................................................... 64 III. Recent Changes in the Detailee Selection Process............................ 65 IV. Analysis.......................................................................................... 65 CHAPTER SIX EVIDENCE AND ANALYSIS: IMMIGRATION JUDGE AND BOARD OF IMMIGRATION APPEALS MEMBER HIRING DECISIONS..................................................................................... 69 I. Immigration Judges and Board of Immigration Appeals Members.... 69 A. The Executive Office for Immigration Review .......................... 69 ii B. Immigration Judges............................................................... 70 C. The Board of Immigration Appeals ......................................... 70 D. Department of Justice Policy ................................................. 71 II. Process for Hiring Immigration Judges ............................................ 71 A. The Process Prior to Spring 2004 ........................................... 71 B. The Office of the Attorney General Considers Changes to the Process.................................................................................. 73 C. Last Occasion in Which EOIR Played a Role in Selecting Immigration Judges............................................................... 75 D. The Office of Legal Counsel.................................................... 77 E. The Immigration Judge Appointment Process Implemented by Sampson........................................................................... 81 III. Sampson’s Recommendations to EOIR ............................................ 83 A. Sources for Immigration Judge Candidates............................ 83 B. Candidates Provided to EOIR by Sampson ............................. 85 1. Candidate Supported by Karl Rove ............................... 85 2. Candidates Provided by the White House...................... 86 3. Recommendations from Republican Members of Congress...................................................................... 87 4. Candidates Hired Without EOIR Interviews .................. 88 5. Other Candidates Selected by Sampson........................ 90 C. Problems Created by the New Hiring Process ......................... 91 IV. Williams’s Recommendations to EOIR ............................................. 92 A. Sources for Immigration Judge Candidates............................ 93 B. Candidates Provided to EOIR by Williams .............................. 94 1. The White House Seeks to Place “Priority Candidates” .. 94 2. Candidates Solicited from a Civil Division Political Appointee..................................................................... 95 3. EOIR Requested Immigration Judges............................ 96 4. Candidates Selected by Williams who had also Applied Through the Vacancy Announcement ........................... 97 5. Additional White House Candidates Provided to EOIR... 98 C. The Direct Appointment Process Continued to Affect EOIR..... 99 D. Search Terms for Screening Candidates................................. 99 iii V. Goodling’s Recommendations to EOIR........................................... 101 A. Sources for Immigration Judge Candidates.......................... 102 B. Political Screening by Goodling ............................................ 103 1. Candidates Considered for Career and Political Positions .................................................................... 103 2. Candidates Provided to EOIR by Goodling .................. 104 C. Increasing Vacancies for Immigration Judges ...................... 106 D. Screening of Candidates by Immigration Judges in Florida .. 108 E. Candidates Selected by Goodling for Positions on the Board of Immigration Appeals........................................................ 110 F. The Hiring Freeze ................................................................ 112 VI. The Current Process for Hiring Immigration Judges and Board of Immigration Appeals Members ...................................................... 114 A. Immigration Judges............................................................. 114 B. Board of Immigration Appeals Members............................... 115 VII. Analysis........................................................................................ 115 A. Kyle Sampson...................................................................... 117 B. Jan Williams ....................................................................... 118 C. Monica Goodling.................................................................. 121 D. EOIR Director and Deputy Director...................................... 122 CHAPTER SEVEN OTHER ISSUES ......................................................... 125 I. John Nowacki ............................................................................... 125 II. Goodling’s Discrimination Against a Detailee on the Basis of Sexual Orientation ................................................................................... 128 A. EOUSA Detail .....................................................................