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Anchor:
THERE ARE SEVERAL CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATIONS INTO HIRING PRACTICES AT THE U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, WHICH ONLY RECENTLY EXPANDED TO THE DEPARTMENT'S CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION.

LAST MONTH ABC-7 NEWS I-TEAM REPORTER ROBERTA BASKIN FIRST RAISED THE ISSUE OF DIVERSITY.

SHE IS HERE NOW WITH AN UPDATE.

Roberta Baskin:
OUR INVESTIGATION DETAILED A LACK OF DIVERSITY WITHIN THE CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION.

FOR THE PAST MONTH WE'VE TRIED TO GET ANSWERS FROM THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT…WITHOUT SUCCESS. NOW CONGRESS WANTS ANSWERS.

Story:
These Justice Department employees prosecute racially motivated assaults and other criminal violations of civil rights laws. They are posing for a staff photograph in front of the Capitol. It looks like a diverse group.

(GRAPHIC)

But as we reported last month, among the 50 criminal prosecutors in this section, only 2 are black.

Theodore Shaw: "That's rather difficult for me to understand."

Theodore Shaw was once a young litigator for the Civil Rights Division and now heads the NAACP Legal Defense fund.

Theodore Shaw: ""I'm clear that what has happened hasn't happened accidentally."

 When the photo session broke up, I tried to ask Mark Kappelhoff, chief of the Civil Rights criminal section why NO black attorneys have been hired in the past four years. He referred me to the press office which declined my request.

Theodore Shaw: "Zero black attorneys, over a period of years? No one willing to work there, or qualified to work there?"

Now some Senators are asking, WHY?

Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD): "There have been press accounts as to the lack of diversity within the Civil Rights Division. 

Senator Cardin oversees one of the congressional inquiries into accusations that attorneys were hired with the right political backgrounds rather than the right qualifications.

Sen. Ben Cardin: "They're not recruiting the best. They're not looking for diversity. One of the casualties is the diversity in the office is not anywhere near the diversity of our country."

We showed the senator the results of our investigation. A Justice Dept special report that 5 years ago said there are "significant diversity issues," along with this new photo showing the problem remains the same.

Sen. Ben Cardin: "That's outrageous. That can't exist."

Roberta question: What is wrong with this picture? Cardin: "What is wrong with that picture is that's exactly what's wrong with opportunity for all Americans."

Senator Cardin wants the chief of the Civil Rights Division to report back to him on its record of hiring minorities.

Hearing tape, Cardin: "If you could give us diversity numbers within the department." Kim: "I'd be happy to provide that, Senator.

Cardin: "Thank you."

Roberta Baskin:
AGAIN…WE'VE ASKED REPEATEDLY FOR ANSWERS FROM THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT…ABOUT HIRING PRACTICES AND DIVERSITY WITH NO RESPONSE. WE'LL SEE HOW QUICKLY IT RESPONDS TO CONGRESS.