Alberto Gonzales and his cronies may have even more skeletons in their closet!
NPR reports that federal officials are investigating whether the fallen Attorney General’s staff hired and fired on more than just administrative allegiance, like sexuality.
According to sources, the Justice Department’s former Deputy Director of Public Affairs, Monica Goodling took a queer interest in Leslie Hagen, who worked as liaison between the Department and federal attorneys before getting sacked in October of 2006:
Justice Department e-mails obtained by NPR show that Gonzales’s senior counsel Monica Goodling had a particular interest in Hagen’s duties. A few months before Hagen was let go, according to one e-mail, Goodling removed part of Hagen’s job portfolio – the part dealing with child exploitation and abuse.
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The Justice Department’s inspector general is looking into whether Hagen was dismissed after a rumor reached Goodling that Hagen is lesbian.As one Republican source put it, “To some people, that’s even worse than being a Democrat.”
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Someone who worked in Hagen’s office says that in a 2006 meeting, senior officials were told that Hagen’s contract would not be renewed because someone on the attorney general’s staff had a problem with Hagen. The problem, it was suggested during the conversation, was sexual orientation – or what was rumored to be Hagen’s sexual orientation.
Hagen received favorable reviews during her tenure at the Department. And, in fact, staffers described her as the most qualified candidate. More importantly to this case, Hagen pledged all of her allegiance to the GOP, which should have made her a perfect pawn for Goodling and her boss, Gonzales.
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Investigators also circulated a questionnaire asking applicants if Goodling inquired about their sexuality, which would be a red flag of discriminatory action. Or, rather, pink flag…
foofyjim
This is why we need federal protection from employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. If some people are going to special and extraordinary lengths to find lesbians and gays only to fire them, then it appears they need special and extraordinary protections in the workplace. The trouble with this type of witch hunt, and what should bring more straight allies to our side is that firings are often based only on rumor and innuendo. I would certainly take offense if I were fired for being out and proud at work, but even worse would be if they fired the poor dude down the hall just because he dresses neatly and doesn’t like sports. Of course this is what you get when you hire Jesus freaks like this Goodling character.
ggreen
This of course will be met with the “few bad apples†defense by the Log Cabin Republicans (also known as Uncle Tom’s Cabin).
Paul Raposo
Worse yet, ggreen, the homocons who loathe the LCR almost as much as they hate the Dems, will claim that Ms. Hagen was “flaunting” her sexuality and going against what is “socially acceptable” standards of conduct. Not unusually, it’s always the anti-gay hets who decide what is socially acceptable: Child molestor? AOK; Gay, liberal or both? PERVERT!
Becca
Well GGREEN,
After 8 years of complete and utter insanity, those “few bad apples” have spoiled the Entire Bunch and it’s now only a rotting putrid mess.
Alan down in Florida
“staffers described her as the most qualified candidate”
In the Bush administration this probably did more to get her fired than perceived sexual orientation. Competence cannot be tolerated. It points out too clearly the incompetence that surrounds it.
Jack Jett
Is there any way we can bring back the times when we use to feed the christians to the lions?
At lease they served a purpose then.
G.
Hopefully Gooding will be sued very soon.
M Shane
Even where there are laws, like where I now live, discrimination is let go. The people who take an interest in descrimination towards Black people , in this case, are bigoted toward gay people because of religious beliefs .
It is always possible to concoct phony reasons for dismisal. The poison is really in the society, and even if there are laws this rash of religious extremism is dangerous. An uncivil. intolerant and ignorant society produces some ugly stuff.
Doug
Where is the main stream media on this? I guess that the newscorportations find it not inportant that an exemplary employee was fired because she may be lesbian is not newsworthy? This countries priorties are wraped and disgraceful! I did hear this story on NPR and Im thankful that at least they reported on this…
SRD
I heard the story on NPR also and thought, well nothing this administration does surprises me. The Bush Administration has been silently dismantling every civil rights protection in place since he arrived in office. He has appointed his greedy racist fraudulent friends from Texas to do it. I have serious doubts that, this Monica Goodling would ever be hired by a scholarly lawfirm since her law degree is from of all things Liberty University I believe….is it so her best chance was to work for a greedy racist fraudulent adminstration? Greedy racist frauds do their work best when working under-cover incognito. So it good out them by name and location when discovered.
M Shane
It should be pretty clear that the mainstem media is completely sold outto bush and his Corporatist government.
It’s important at times like this that Fascist regimes always pick marginalized groups to victimize. Hopefully it won’t take anyone by suprise,to see that it’s happening in America, and that gay folks are “it”