Paul Kiel May 2, 2007, 4:21 PM

How deep, how wide did the politicization at the Justice Department go?

From the AP:

The Justice Department is investigating whether its former White House liaison used political affiliation in deciding who to hire as entry-level prosecutors in U.S. attorneys’ offices around the country, The Associated Press has learned.

Doing so is a violation of federal law.

The inquiry involving Monica Goodling, the former counsel and White House liaison for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, raises new concerns that politics might have cast a shadow over the independence of trial prosecutors who enforce U.S. laws.

Justice spokesman Dean Boyd confirmed Wednesday that the department’s inspector general and Office of Professional Responsibility were investigating Goodling’s role in hiring career attorneys — an unusual responsibility for her to take.

Goodling “may have taken prohibited considerations into account during such review,” Boyd told the AP. “Whether or not the allegation is true is currently the subject of the OIG/OPR investigation.”

Will this affect Congress’ offer of immunity to Goodling?

Update: More details from an AP update:

The investigation of Goodling appears to focus on her role in reviewing applications for trial prosecutors for offices headed by temporary or acting U.S. attorneys who had not been confirmed by the Senate. That responsibility is usually handled by the Justice Department’s executive office of U.S. attorneys.

Goodling had served in the executive U.S. attorney’s office until she was transferred to serve as Gonzales’ counsel and primary White House contact. The internal Justice investigation concerns Goodling’s review of job applicants only after she joined the attorney general’s office, the government officials said.

Monica Goodling, U.S. Attorneys