More Evidence Gonzales Is A Criminal

The Washington Post has conducted an extensive analysis of Bush Administration immigration judge appointees, and concludes that the Administration has politicized these judicial selections, despite laws specifically forbidding such a practice. In the wake of the U.S. Attorneys scandal, which inspired the investigation, this blatantly illegal behavior should come as no surprise; but it is yet another example of the Administration's monomaniacal obsession with politicizing absolutely every aspect of government, to the detriment of the government's ability to function.

As the Post explains:

The Bush administration increasingly emphasized partisan political ties over expertise in recent years in selecting the judges who decide the fate of hundreds of thousands of immigrants, despite laws that preclude such considerations, according to an analysis by The Washington Post.

At least one-third of the immigration judges appointed by the Justice Department since 2004 have had Republican connections or have been administration insiders, and half lacked experience in immigration law, Justice Department, immigration court and other records show.

Two newly appointed immigration judges were failed candidates for the U.S. Tax Court nominated by President Bush; one fudged his taxes and the other was deemed unqualified to be a tax judge by the nation's largest association of lawyers. Both were Republican loyalists.

Also appointed were a Republican election law specialist from New Jersey, a former treasurer of the Republican Party in Louisiana, a White House staffer, and an anti-pornography advocate. None had any apparent qualification to be involved in immigration issues; and one El Paso appointee was later ruled to lack even the minimum qualification.

According to sworn testimony before Congressional investigators, the Department of Justice abandoned the traditional civil service process for selecting judges in 2004. Our friends Kyle Sampson and Monica Goodling reportedly explained that they thought the practice was legal, but DOJ spokesman Dean Boyd says it was not. These appointments are made by the Attorney General, and this politicization took place under both Attorneys General John Ashcroft and Alberto Gonzales.

According to news reports, the no-confidence resolution against Gonzales will be voted on today. Given this latest report, it's time for Congress to realize that no-confidence just doesn't cut it. The man breaks laws. He is a criminal. He is the nation's chief law enforcement officer. It's time to get serious about dealing with him.