Dismantling Justice: The Fall of the U.S. Public Integrity Section
The U.S. Justice Department's Public Integrity Section, formed post-Watergate to combat political corruption, has been significantly weakened under President Trump's second term. Drastic reductions in staff and authority, as well as the suspension of crucial rules, risk enhancing political influence in the judicial process, experts warn.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Justice Department's Public Integrity Section, a division formed in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal to combat political corruption, is facing severe erosion of power and staffing under the Trump administration.
Since President Donald Trump's re-election, the unit has seen its authority to file new cases stripped, diminishing its historical role as a gatekeeper against politically motivated prosecutions. The section's staff has dwindled from over 30 attorneys to just five, as changes within the department dismantle protective measures intended to prevent political interference in investigations.
Constitutional law experts and former Justice Department officials express concern over these changes, warning that such moves could pave the way for prosecutorial actions biased against Trump's political adversaries while shielding his allies. The department, however, defends these shifts as necessary to halt what it claims is the politicization of the justice system under previous administrations.
(With inputs from agencies.)
Google News