A new report is hot off the presses. Virginia’s veteran U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf, whose admirable pressure was largely responsible in the first place for the DoJ Inspector General to open an investigation into the department’s Civil Rights Division, just put out a release describing it:<\/p>\n
\nFOLLOWING REPORT, WOLF CALLS ON ATTORNEY GENERAL<\/strong><\/p>\n
TO CONDUCT REVIEW OF CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION<\/strong><\/p>\n
Long-Awaited Report Details Dysfunction Within Human Rights Division<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n
Washington, D.C. (March 12, 2013) \u2013 Following the long-awaited release of a\u00a0report<\/a> by the Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General on abuses within the Civil Rights Division of DOJ, Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) today called on the Attorney General to appoint an outside panel to conduct a review of all officials and correct the systemic dysfunction that exists within the division.<\/p>\n
Today\u2019s report validates the concerns Wolf raised in 2009 and 2010 about the politicization and inappropriate activities within the Civil Rights Division, including the dismissal of the\u00a0New Black Panthers<\/a> Philadelphia voting intimidation case and the subsequent investigation of this matter by the\u00a0U.S. Commission on Civil Rights<\/a> in 2010.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, March 14, DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz, who released today\u2019s report, will testify before Wolf\u2019s Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) Appropriations subcommittee at 10 a.m. in H-309 in the Capitol.<\/p>\n
Wolf\u2019s full statement is below.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was deeply troubled, but hardly surprised, to learn from today\u2019s report on the Justice Department\u2019s Inspector General that very serious abuses and politicization are prevalent in the department\u2019s Civil Rights Division.\u00a0 The report makes clear that the division has become a rat\u2019s nest of unacceptable and unprofessional actions, and even outright threats against career attorneys and systemic mismanagement.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbove all, I believe that Attorney General Holder has failed in his leadership of this Justice Department.\u00a0 As the head of the department, he alone bears ultimate responsibility for the serious abuses that occurred on his watch over the last four years.\u00a0 Notably, the report also confirms that the attorney general was made aware of efforts to dismiss the voting rights case against the New Black Panther Party in 2009, which was apparently dismissed with his blessing.\u00a0 Holder has failed the American people, and he must be held responsible for the prevailing dysfunction that has occurred under his leadership.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday, I am calling on Holder to immediately appoint an outside, independent panel, led by someone of integrity and experience like former Deputy Attorney General James Comey, to conduct a 60-day in-depth review of all officials, attorneys and policies within the division and make recommendations to the department and to the Congress on how to address the systematic dysfunction that has taken root within the division.<\/p>\n
\u201cAdditionally, all of the individuals cited for improper conduct should be immediately removed and appropriate action should be taken.<\/p>\n
\u201cI take these issues very seriously, both because of my responsibilities as chairman of the House CJS Appropriations subcommittee, which funds the Justice Department, but also because I have been a stalwart supporter of voting rights enforcement.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was the only member of the Virginia congressional delegation \u2013 Republican or Democrat \u2013 to vote for the Voting Rights Act in 1982.\u00a0 I was heavily criticized by state newspapers, including the Richmond Times-Dispatch, for my vote. I was criticized again by editorials in my district when I supported the Voting Rights Act extension in 2006, but I stuck by my vote because I strongly believe that voting is a sacrosanct and inalienable right of any democracy.<\/p>\n
\u201cI first contacted former Inspector General Glenn Fine in July 2009 to request this report.\u00a0 Nearly four years after my request \u2013 and two inspectors general later \u2013 this report has finally been released.\u00a0 Although I was disappointed the IG\u2019s office was initially slow in its review of this case, the pace noticeably accelerated under the leadership of the current IG Michael Horowitz, who assumed this position last spring.\u00a0 I appreciate Mr. Horowitz\u2019s leadership and believe he has produced a good report.<\/p>\n