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Embattled Bush Official Resigns Justice Post

August 22, 2007 1:03 PM

Embattledbush_mn Facing multiple investigations, a senior Justice Department appointee has resigned his post.

Bradley Schlozman stepped down from his position as a counsel in the Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys, a branch of the Department of Justice, last week, a Justice spokesman confirmed Wednesday.

Schlozman, a key figure in several political controversies, is under investigation by the department's inspector general and Office of Professional Responsibility for allegations he was involved in politicizing hiring and firing decisions at the Justice Department. He is also a subject of the congressional probe into the U.S. attorneys firing scandal.

Last year, the 36-year-old Kansas native took a U.S. attorney post in Missouri after its previous holder, Todd Graves, was dismissed. Graves has said he refused to sign off on a lawsuit involving the state's voter rolls. The suit went forward anyway. This year, a court ruled against the Justice Department in the matter. The department is appealing the ruling.  Schlozman had backed the case from Washington.

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Once he became a U.S. attorney, Schlozman apparently broke with Justice Department policy, by filing a criminal voter fraud indictment against a liberal activist group within a week of the 2006 election. A department manual instructs staff that "most, if not all, investigation of an alleged election crime must await the end of the election to which the allegation relates."

His actions sparked concerns from many quarters, including veteran Justice Department attorneys, that he was attempting to influence the election for a U.S. Senate seat, which was close. They also fueled a growing belief among congressional Democrats that the dismissal of Graves and several other U.S. attorneys was part of an effort to use U.S. attorneys' offices for the benefit of the Republican party.

A federal judge dismissed the case in April. Schlozman told a Senate panel in June he did not believe his actions were going to influence the election, and that he was unaware of the group's political leaning.

During his time at Justice, Schlozman was no stranger to controversy. He was reportedly one of the handful of Bush appointees at the Justice Department who signed off on a 2003 plan to redraw Texas congressional districts and create more Republican-controlled seats, designed by then-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Tex. The plan was opposed by career lawyers under him, who believed it disenfranchised minority voters. The Supreme Court later ruled parts of the plan were unconstitutional.

In 2003, Schlozman became a senior official at the department's Civil Rights division, which reviews and prosecutes cases of voter disenfranchisement. During his tenure, dozens of career lawyers left the office after sharply disagreeing with him and other political appointees over how to handle important cases.

Those departures, along with boasts by Schlozman that he increased the number of Republicans he had hired into the department, have driven concern that Schlozman brought an improper focus on political affiliation and activity at the Justice Department. Schlozman has denied those accusations, although he acknowledges he may have boasted about the number of Republicans he had hired.

Schlozman's resignation, which was first reported by the Web site TPMmuckraker.com, makes him the sixth figure connected to the U.S. attorney scandal to resign in recent months.

A Justice Department spokesman said Schlozman was moving to the Midwest to join a law firm there. Schlozman did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this story.

Photo courtesy of the Justice Department.

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This post has been revised.

August 22, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (58)

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How soon before some of these clowns go to jail?

Posted by: Sally | Aug 22, 2007 1:37:50 PM

Is there going to be anyone left in the Bush administration, or are they all going to resign amid all these corruption charges?

Posted by: ron | Aug 22, 2007 1:45:48 PM

The Republican corruption never ceases to amaze me. Forget terrorists, we are under attack from within by these people intent on destroying our country. Voter fraud? At the highest levels of our government? That's a very scary situation and a huge crime and shows how how insane these neocons are. America as we know it is in serious jeopardy as long as the whole neocon movement is operating. They are moving us toward creating a fascist regime. They despise individual freedom, and have a lust for power and control that rivals any despotic regime. We must purge these neocons before it's too late! From Bush/Cheney on down....How many other of these freedom killers do we have in gov't now?

Posted by: no_coincidence | Aug 22, 2007 2:06:27 PM

Sally asked a good question. We hear of a number of people resigning while under fire for wrongdoing of one sort or another, but do they ever get punished? In too many cases all I hear is that they got some cushy position in the private sector. Is there a site somewhere that keeps track of these folk and the punishment or "reward" they receive for their wrongdoing?

Posted by: Ron Hager | Aug 22, 2007 2:21:34 PM

There would be no investigation if this guy was not guilty...right? No one in thier right mind would launch an investigation if there was not proof of guilt! That would be dirty politics.

Posted by: Mitch | Aug 22, 2007 2:21:36 PM

Sally, they never will as long as Bush hold the pardon pen. These guys administered justice exactly as Bush wanted it.

Posted by: ken lewis | Aug 22, 2007 2:30:57 PM

Nobody goes to jail from this administration when the issuer of the "Get out of Jail for free" cards is GW. My suggestion is after GW gets out of office is to go after all these future criminals (including GW) relentlessly so that NOBODY does this crap ever again, Democrat or Republican!!!

Posted by: Roy | Aug 22, 2007 2:39:31 PM

Why is there so much controversial dealings done by the Republican party? Especially lawyers who should know the law and still seem to attempt to get around it. They appear to be doing what's good for themselves rather than for the public which they are to serve. Let us remember that the purpose of government is to serve the public.

Posted by: BIGBARRYW | Aug 22, 2007 2:39:49 PM

This just goes to show how corrupt, dishonest, vicious, vindictive, and hypocritical Republicans are. They have no morals, no ethics, and no respect for the rule of law, the Constitution, democratic institutions, or civil rights and liberties. They believe their ends justify any and all means, legal or illegal. The entire Republican Party is a blight on this country. This moron Schlozman should be brought up on criminal charges. IMPEACH BUSH, CHENEY, GONZALES, SCALIA, THOMAS NOW!!! BRING CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST ROVE, ARMITAGE, MIERS, BOLTEN, SCHLOZMAN NOW!!!

Posted by: informedone | Aug 22, 2007 2:40:29 PM

Anybody that was appointed by Bush is a crooked scandal. It's clear that Schlozman is just another politician that is as crooked as they come.

Posted by: Denise | Aug 22, 2007 2:42:39 PM

Burn in HELL crooked politicians.

Posted by: Denise | Aug 22, 2007 2:47:11 PM

I love it. He didn't know the political leanings of the liberal group he just coincidentally went after the week before the election. I thought perjury was a crime.

Posted by: Marc | Aug 22, 2007 2:53:11 PM

One down, one Alberto Gonzales to go.
The sooner the better. Let's get some justice in the Justice Dept for a change.

Posted by: US Citizen | Aug 22, 2007 2:54:30 PM

Another sleaze-bag bites the dust!

Posted by: allan_krueger | Aug 22, 2007 3:06:23 PM

The Democratic party has been on a six year witch hunt. Funny how Clinton was able to fire all of the attorneys and nothing was said about that. Also, had Clinton done his job instead of playing to the polls we would not be in the mess we are in now domestically and internationally.. Don't believe all the propaganda you read, which is written with a biased pen!!

Posted by: Valerie Tarantolo | Aug 22, 2007 3:22:35 PM

Infordone, all the things you accuse the Republicans of are done by the Democrats. I find this present bunch of Democrats to be the most criminal, lying, hypocritcal elitist that has ever "served" the public, and I use the term served advisedly..Wake up I say serve papers on Pelosi, Reid, Feingold, Boxer, Schumer, Murther, Durbin and the rest of the anti American crooks

Posted by: Valerie Tarantolo | Aug 22, 2007 3:27:02 PM

What a bunch of kooky comments. What is this guy charged with? Who in the news industry has even discussed the legality of the U.S. attorney firings in terms of specific laws which were violated? What are the specific laws?

Posted by: davej | Aug 22, 2007 3:33:13 PM

Good Ridance to another corrupt "Family Values" Republican....

Posted by: David H. Hanes | Aug 22, 2007 4:02:02 PM

Makes you wonder why the ABC(another bush co-conspirator) network props these vermin losers up. Ruin the USA and hop into the private sector as they will never be PRIVATES in the army sector, will they? I can feel rupie murdoch drooling over the idea of buying up ABC and work his trifecta package of doting sycophants like a player piano...

Posted by: daddy | Aug 22, 2007 4:02:13 PM

Anybody remember Clinton's last day in office pardons and his NAFTA arm twisting?

Signed

A. Dem

Posted by: bob | Aug 22, 2007 4:15:21 PM

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