Washington D.C. – In a historically significant instance of politicized government action, President Richard Nixon privately ordered the identification of Jewish employees within the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in 1971. This directive followed congressional testimony by BLS official Howard Goldstein regarding employment figures, which angered the President. White House aide Fred Malek was tasked with compiling lists of individuals, including those with "Jewish-sounding" last names, culminating in a list of 13 employees who fit Nixon's "demographic criterion."
President Nixon's ire stemmed from Goldstein's testimony on employment figures, which he perceived as undermining his administration. According to the tweet, Nixon privately expressed, "There's a Jewish cabal, you know, running through this" and "They all only talk to Jews," revealing a deep-seated anti-Semitism that fueled his actions. This sentiment was a driving force behind his demand for a count of Jewish individuals within the federal agency.
Fred Malek, then the White House personnel chief, was instructed to create lists of Democrats and individuals with "Jewish-sounding" surnames within the BLS. Malek's report to Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman confirmed that 13 of the 35 top BLS officials fit the "demographic criterion" discussed. Subsequently, BLS Commissioner Geoffrey Moore, under consistent pressure from Nixon, moved Goldstein to another office and reorganized the bureau, leading to the reassignment of other Jewish officials, including Peter Henle and Leon Greenberg.
While the anti-Semitic animus remained private for years, Nixon's general attitude toward the BLS was publicly known at the time. The Washington Post editorialized about the administration "bringing hand-picked political appointees into the Bureau of Labor Statistics." Commissioner Moore later resigned, a move widely seen as a consequence of Nixon's efforts to politicize the BLS, even before the full extent of the anti-Semitic motivations was revealed.
The full scope of Nixon's anti-Semitic rage against the BLS only came to light years later, through White House memos and tapes. This episode is now recognized as one of the most egregious examples of politicized removal in U.S. history, highlighting the severe consequences of presidential prejudice on federal agencies and civil servants. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the historical intersection of politics, data integrity, and deeply rooted biases.