Public Integrity Section

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The Public Integrity Section is a section of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice charged with combating political corruption at all levels of government through the prosecution of corrupt federal, state, and local elected and appointed public officials. The Public Integrity Section holds exclusive jurisdiction over prosecution of alleged criminal misconduct by federal judges, monitors the investigation and prosecution of election and conflict of interest crimes, and, since 1978, has supervised administration of the Independent Counsel provisions of the Ethics in Government Act.[1]As of 2005, the section had a staff of approximately 28 attorneys, including experts in extortion, bribery, election crimes, and criminal conflicts of interest.[2]

Created in 1976, the Public Integrity Section consolidates into one unit the U.S. Department of Justice's oversight responsibilities for prosecuting criminal abuses of the public trust by elected and appointed government officials. Besides prosecuting selected cases involving federal, state, or local officials, the section also gives advice and assistance to prosecutors and agents in the field in handling public corruption cases. The section's Election Crimes Branch, created in 1980, supervises the U.S. Department of Justice's nationwide response to voter fraud, campaign financing offenses, and other election crimes.[2]

The Ethics in Government Act of 1978 requires the Attorney General to report to the United States Congress annually on the operations and activities of the Public Integrity Section.[2] Annual reports to Congress since 1982 are available on the section's website.[1]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b U.S. Department of Justice. (n.d.) Public Integrity Section. U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division. Retrieved on 2007-05-10.
  2. ^ a b c Public Integrity Section. (2006) Report to Congress on the Activities and Operations of the Public Integrity Section for 2005. U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division. Retrieved on 2007-05-10.

[edit] External links

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