From ActForChange:
If there was one official in the Department of Justice who did more than Alberto Gonzales to inject partisan politics into the supposedly impartial administration of our nation's laws, it was Hans von Spakovsky. He overruled the rest of his department in approving a Texas redistricting plan revised by Tom Delay as well as a restrictive voter ID law in Georgia. He also instigated unnecessary purges of the voter rolls designed to benefit Republican candidates, and openly used partisan criteria in deciding who should get promotions at DOJ.
Now, President Bush wants him to take a permanent seat on the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) -- the body that oversees our nation's laws on financing of federal elections. But one of your Senators sits on the Rules Committee that will vote on von Spakovsky's nomination this Wednesday -- so send a message today that the Senate should reject this nomination immediately.
Von Spakovsky's tenure at the Department of Justice was so bad that six former career professionals at DOJ have written a letter to Senate leaders opposing his nomination to the FEC. Just a few of their reasons for opposing von Spakovsky include:
* He played a major role in injecting partisan politics into the decision-making process on law enforcement actions, as well as hiring and promotion practices at DOJ.
* He demanded that supervisors alter performance evaluations for individuals with whom he did not agree.
* He refused to recuse himself from the Georgia voter ID issue even though he was well known to be biased in favor of the Georgia proponents of the measure.
* He tried to impede the enforcement of the Help America Vote Act by recommending that voters be kept off the rolls for typographical errors or other mistakes made by election officials.
* He drafted legal briefs supporting Republicans concerning elections in Ohio, Michigan, and Florida just before the 2004 election -- in violation of the policy that the Civil Rights Division should not inject itself into politics on the eve of an election.
The administration of justice should always be nonpartisan -- especially when it concerns the most fundamental right of our democracy, the right to vote. Tell your Senators to reject Hans von Spakovsky and compel the President to nominate a more suitable and ethical candidate for the position of Federal Elections Commissioner.
Click HERE to send letters to your representatives.
Tags: Von Spakovsky, Federal Elections Commission
