NCJ Number
123311
Date Published
1989
Length
35 pages
Annotation
This 1988 report of the Public Integrity Section of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Justice Department describes the operations and functions of the section, details the cases prosecuted by the section during 1988, and presents data on the national effort to combat public corruption during 1988, based on the section's annual survey of U.S. attorneys nationwide.
Abstract
The Public Integrity Section oversees the Federal effort to combat corruption through the prosecution of elected and appointed public officials at all levels of government. The section is also responsible for supervising the handling of investigations and prosecutions of election crimes and supervises the administration of the Independent Counsel provisions of the Ethics in Government Act. Throughout 1988, the section has suffered from budget problems that have restricted hiring and travel. Simultaneously, the section's workload, particularly under the Independent Counsel provisions and the conflict-of-interest laws have burgeoned. Nevertheless, the section brought a number of significant cases in 1988 and maintained an experienced staff of litigators, including experts in election law, the laws prohibiting conflicts of interest and bribery, the Independent Counsel provisions, and the statutes providing Federal jurisdiction over corruption at the State and local levels. 3 tables.