Director of Civil Rights Panel Resigns

J. Al Latham Jr., staff director of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, said Friday that he is resigning because Congress has hobbled the agency with budget cuts as punishment for its conservative positions.

Latham, 35, had held the $68,700-a-year job since last December.

The decision came amid wholesale staff resignations that followed Congress’ reduction of the commission’s budget from $11.8 million to $7.5 million.

Lawmakers also dictated the manner in which much of the money must be spent, restricted the hiring of consultants and political appointees, and limited the time the eight part-time commissioners can bill to the government.

Latham’s job was to run the day-to-day operations of the commission. The permanent staff director who preceded him was Linda Chavez, who became a top presidential aide and currently is the Republican U.S. Senate candidate from Maryland.