Leahy rips Mukasey on hiring scandal

U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D)Vermont's senior U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D) railed against a decision by Attorney General Michael Mukasey not to seek charges against a number of Justice Department employees implicated in a political scandal in 2006.

Mukasey told a crowd at the American Bar Association in New York Tuesday that he would not seek to prosecute a handful of former Justice Dept. employees suspected of favoring conservative candidates for non-political jobs, and discriminating against those with "liberal" backgrounds.

In a statement Tuesday, Leahy -- the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee -- called Mukasey's decision "premature" as an investigation into the scandal by the Inspector General is not yet complete. Leahy also accused Mukasey -- who was appointed by President Bush -- of shielding the White House from further scrutiny on the issue.

“Attorney General Mukasey’s blanket conclusions appear premature based on the facts and evidence that congressional investigators and the Inspector General have uncovered so far.  The White House stonewalling continues, with aides refusing to comply with congressional subpoenas and testify about their role in the politicization of the Department of Justice," Leahy said.

"The Attorney General, the nation’s top law enforcement officer, seems intent on insulating this administration from accountability. We must continue to pursue the truth and facts, and hold any wrongdoers accountable.”

EARLIER on PolitickerVT.com:

• U.S. Sen. Leahy responds to new Justice Department report