A long-awaited report from the Inspector General at the Department of Justice confirms what' we've long believed.  Illegal hiring practices were routine.  The DOJ is referring the matter to "legal disciplinary authorities."  Last July,  CREW filed bar complaints against former Department of Justice officials Michael J. Elston and Esther Slater McDonald for making hiring decisions based on political and ideological affiliations.

From the Washington Post: 

Ideological considerations permeated the hiring process at the Justice Department's civil rights division, where a politically appointed official sought to hire "real Americans" and Republicans for career posts and prominent case assignments, according to a long awaited report released this morning by the department's inspector general.

The extensive study of hiring practices between 2001 and 2007 concluded that a former department official improperly weeded out candidates based on their perceived ties to liberal organizations. Two other senior managers failed to oversee the process, authorities said.

The key official, former Deputy Assistant Attorney General Bradley Schlozman, favored employees who shared his political views and derided others as "libs" and "pinkos," the report said.

Justice Department Inspector General Glenn A. Fine and Office of Professional Responsibility chief H. Marshall Jarrett said they would refer their findings to legal disciplinary authorities.