Pajamas Media is doing a multipart series arising out of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit it filed against the Justice Department seeking the resumes of the attorneys hired in an unprecedented hiring blitz since January 2009.  The second installment appears today.  It answers the question why states should go to federal court for approval of election law changes in the 16 Section 5 states, instead of going to the Justice Department.

Reviewing the Resumes: The Politicized Hiring of Eric Holder’s Voting Section

“Eric Holder’s Justice Department wields enormous power over the American political landscape heading into the 2012 elections. Under the Voting Rights Act, sixteen states must submit any election law change to the Justice Department for approval. The law also gives the states the right to go to federal court for approval instead.

States need to understand the biographies of the DOJ officials who will be responsible for managing the review of these submissions. PJM has learned their backgrounds weigh in favor of bypassing the DOJ and going straight to court. . . .”