WASHINGTON — Attorney General Michael Mukasey on Wednesday dismissed allegations of widespread politicization within the Justice Department, saying he hadn't seen evidence of it since he took office eight months ago.

Mukasey's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee came after the Justice Department's inspector general concluded last month that some officials were weeding out job and internship applicants with liberal credentials before Mukasey took office.

When Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., asked him whether he'd found that the department had been politicized, Mukasey said he'd instead encountered "enormously dedicated people who are very committed to my succeeding." » read more

WASHINGTON — Two former Justice Department officials violated federal laws and department policies in 2002 and 2006 by weighing the ideological leanings of law students and young lawyers who were applying for coveted internships and jobs, according to a Justice Department watchdog's report made public Tuesday.

The report by Justice Department Inspector General Glenn Fine found that officials disproportionately weeded out those with liberal credentials over those with conservative affiliations who were applying for the department's honors program and summer internships.

The report singled out Michael Elston, the former chief of staff to former Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty, and Esther McDonald, a former department lawyer, as violating anti-discrimination and hiring laws by cutting applicants who were left-leaning, including several who'd gotten good grades from top law schools. » read more