Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz announced today the release of a Management Advisory Memorandum to the Assistant Attorney General for Administration identifying concerns relating to the promotions process for the position of DOJ White House Liaison, a non-career position in the Office of the Attorney General (OAG).
The DOJ White House Liaison manages non-career appointments within DOJ, including promotions, on behalf of the Attorney General and the Attorney General’s Chief of Staff. Part of the duties of the White House Liaison includes identifying to the Justice Management Division (JMD) individuals to be hired or promoted, and then signing one of the forms (Form 1019) that JMD prepares and provides to the White House Liaison to facilitate the hiring or promotion.
The OIG found that DOJ’s process for promotions of non-career appointees does not sufficiently address the manner in which the White House Liaison’s own promotion should be managed, including who should be responsible for, among other things, signing the Form 1019 in place of the White House Liaison. The absence of such a policy or protocol creates a risk that a White House Liaison could obtain an unapproved promotion and pay raise. By addressing the lack of a policy or process that applies to a White House Liaison’s own promotion, JMD will help OAG staff avoid potential ethical and legal issues that could arise when an individual has an inappropriate role in his or her own promotion.
The DOJ Office of the Inspector General made one recommendation to the Department to address the concerns we identified.