Washington Post:
Justice Department investigators have widened an internal probe of the firings of U.S. attorneys to include a broader examination of hiring practices at the department, including the troubled Civil Rights Division and programs for beginning lawyers, officials said Wednesday.
"We have expanded the scope of our investigation to include allegations regarding improper political or other considerations in hiring decisions within the Department of Justice," Inspector General Glenn Fine and H. Marshall Jarrett, head of the Office of Professional Responsibility, wrote in letters to the House and Senate Judiciary committees.
The widening inquiry is likely to pose an additional challenge for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who is already facing lawmakers' calls for his resignation and a potential no-confidence vote by the Senate. While the U.S. attorney dismissals have prompted wide political criticism, improper hiring practices could be deemed a violation of the law.
Here's hoping the investigation gets around to what Justice picks have done to get on the short list. Specifically, Timothy Griffin, Karl Rove's former assistant, currently serving as US Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas...
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