WASHINGTON, Aug. 12 (UPI) -- No one will face criminal charges for allegedly politicizing hiring in the Justice Department, U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey said Tuesday.
In a speech to the American Bar Association in New York, Mukasey said investigators had found wrongdoing but no crime, The New York Times reported.
"Where there is enough evidence to charge someone with a crime, we vigorously prosecute," he said. "But not every wrong, or even every violation of the law, is a crime."
Mukasey said those responsible for using political tests in hiring for what were supposed to be professional positions have faced consequences, including having their conduct "laid bare" for all to see.
"To put it in concrete terms, I doubt that anyone in this room would want to trade places with any of those people," he said.
Mukasey said internal procedures have been changed to prevent similar actions in the future. Firing those who were hired for political reasons would be "unfair and possibly illegal," he said.
