Official in Racial Profiling Study Demoted

Justice Department Denies Political Pressure; Lawmaker Demands Investigation

By Dan Eggen

Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, August 25, 2005; Page A07

The ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee called for a congressional investigation yesterday into allegations that a Justice Department official is being demoted after attempting to publicize findings that police treated Hispanic and black drivers more aggressively than whites during traffic stops.

Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) said he was preparing a request for an "independent review" by the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, which will be asked to examine the personnel issues and the formulation of the study itself.