Justice Department employees accused of nepotism, ethical lapses

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Los Angeles Times:

WASHINGTON -- Eight senior Department of Justice administrative employees should be disciplined for seeking jobs for their children and other relatives, and the department needs to tighten its employment guidelines after three nepotism incidents in recent years, the Inspector General’s Office said Thursday.

In the latest cases, the inspector general’s report determined that within certain departments, a culture of “nepotism, ethical lapses and misleading statements was the result of bad behavior by individuals insufficiently impressed with the principles of fair and open” job hiring competition.

Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz said he expected the Justice Department to take disciplinary action against the employees who sought favoritism for their relatives in landing internships and full-time positions at Justice.

The report brought a quick response from the Justice Department, where officials said they were all the more embarrassed that nepotism was continuing at the department’s Justice Management Division and its Facilities and Administrative Services, Human Relations, Finance and Budget staffs. There were similar findings of those divisions in 2004 and 2008.

“The results of this investigation were very disappointing to me,” said Lee J. Lofthus, assistant attorney general for administration. He promised “appropriate and immediate corrective actions to ensure the problems are not repeated.”

Lofthus added that he will pursue disciplinary actions against the eight individuals “as appropriate,” and make changes to ensure fair hiring practices. “We will work to that end,” he said.

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Obama's Justice Department-it's all in the family...

[logicnreason]

As the leader goes....so to go the led.

 

Why is this a surprise? Why is this newsworthy?