A Bush administration official has admitted he boasted about hiring conservatives and Republicans to work for the U.S. Department of Justice, but said he never broke any civil service rules.

Former US Attorney in Kansas City Bradley Schlozman testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, 5 June 2007

Bradley Schlozman told the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday he had not broken laws that bar political considerations in the hiring of civil servants.  But he said he did recruit applicants from conservative organizations and advise some candidates to remove evidence of their conservative leanings from their resumes.

The Senate committee is investigating whether the firing of eight U.S. attorneys last year was politically motivated.  The probe has been expanded to include allegations of politicized hirings throughout the Department of Justice.  The Bush administration says the hirings were not political.

Last month, ex-Justice Department employee Monica Goodling testified she may have, in her words, "crossed the line" and used political considerations in the hiring process.

Goodling testified in exchange for immunity from prosecution.