U.S. Attorney General Declines to File Criminal Charges Against Alston & Bird Client

In a major victory for an Alston & Bird client, the former head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division and acting U.S. Attorney in Kansas City, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. has agreed with career officials who had previously declined prosecution and has decided not to pursue criminal charges against the former official stemming from his testimony before the Senate regarding allegations of politicized hiring in the Civil Rights Division. Bill Jordan, who represents the official, released the following statement in reaction to Holder’s decision:

“[My client] is extremely pleased that he has been fully exonerated by this review. The Attorney General made the right decision and did not overturn the considered judgment of six senior career officials who reviewed the matter, considered the so-called ‘findings’ in the Inspector General's report, and declined to prosecute. As we have asserted all along, the IG issued a grossly inaccurate and biased report. Moreover, the IG flatly refused to include in his report any of the information [my client] provided that demonstrated clearly that he did not make hiring decisions based upon political affiliation and had a demonstrated record of hiring and promoting individuals from across the ideological spectrum.”