thedrifter
02-16-05, 11:05 PM
Feds Turn Up The Heat On Public Corruption
February 16, 2005
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by Jim Kouri, CPP
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Public corruption poses the greatest single threat to the credibility of government institutions at all levels. Corruption by those controlling the nation’s ports of entry and handling the issuance of visas and other identity documents opens our country’s borders to potential terrorists and other criminal actors.
The serious increase in cases of law enforcement officers forming or supporting drug trafficking enterprises threatens the safety and security of our streets. Corruption within correctional facilities undermines our criminal justice and judicial system. When military contracts involving vital defense and weapons systems become the subject of bribery and kickbacks, national security is directly weakened. Many major metropolitan areas have witnessed the indictment and conviction of public officials for corruption related activity, with public money being misused for private gain. Along with the increasing frequency of all types of corruption, the level of sophistication and complexity of this criminal activity present special challenges.
Corruption allegations are among the most sensitive matters addressed by the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. These allegations must be investigated quickly, fairly, and accurately. Using a variety of federal statutes and investigative techniques including RICO statutes, the FBI focuses investigations on all levels of government — federal, state, and municipal — and all branches of government — executive, legislative, and judicial.
Approximately 50 percent of the FBI’s public corruption investigations involve law enforcement officers, chiefly due to the sheer number of officers in the United States. Similarly, allegations against municipal and state public officials, frequently involving contract or regulatory matters, are regularly investigated because of the large number of such officials.
Some of the FBI’s most sensitive and highest impact investigations center on executive and legislative officials, as evidenced by the recent indictment of a former Illinois Governor, a former Texas Attorney General, and a sitting member of Congress.
The FBI’s Southwest Border Corruption Initiative will continue to target those officials who, by misuse of their public office, negatively affect commerce between the United States and Mexico, aggravate drug trafficking and violent gang activity, and endanger the security of our nation. Finally, when U.S. businesses bribe foreign officials to illegally compete in the international marketplace, the FBI investigates under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act to prevent adverse impact on national security and foreign policy priorities.
In almost every case, greed is the principal motivating factor in public corruption. Over the next five years, government funding will expand, providing increased opportunity for government officials to engage in corruption. Similarly, as the United States increases security at the borders and in the issuance of identification documents, criminal enterprises will expand their recruitment efforts of public and law enforcement officials to bypass the increased security.
Recognizing that any corruption within our nation’s law enforcement agencies directly undermines public safety, the FBI aggressively investigates these crimes. The proliferation of drug trafficking enterprises in the past decade has led to increased corruption of public officials along the southwest border of the United States, who facilitate drug trans-shipments into the United States.
Corrupt officials also facilitate illegal immigration, and this is expected to increase over the next five years. There is a serious concern that drug and alien smuggling organizations could be used by terrorists to facilitate their entry into the United States, and corrupt officials dramatically increase the success of smuggling operations. The FBI will need to increase its efforts in this arena to minimize the national security implications.
Rapid, fair, and accurate investigation of corruption allegations against federal, state, and local officials will remain an FBI imperative, says a ranking FBI official. This is critical because of the sensitive nature of accusations against public officials, coupled with the tremendous loss of public funds and confidence when corruption occurs.
Sources: Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Association of Chiefs of Police
Jim Kouri
Ellie
February 16, 2005
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
by Jim Kouri, CPP
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Public corruption poses the greatest single threat to the credibility of government institutions at all levels. Corruption by those controlling the nation’s ports of entry and handling the issuance of visas and other identity documents opens our country’s borders to potential terrorists and other criminal actors.
The serious increase in cases of law enforcement officers forming or supporting drug trafficking enterprises threatens the safety and security of our streets. Corruption within correctional facilities undermines our criminal justice and judicial system. When military contracts involving vital defense and weapons systems become the subject of bribery and kickbacks, national security is directly weakened. Many major metropolitan areas have witnessed the indictment and conviction of public officials for corruption related activity, with public money being misused for private gain. Along with the increasing frequency of all types of corruption, the level of sophistication and complexity of this criminal activity present special challenges.
Corruption allegations are among the most sensitive matters addressed by the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. These allegations must be investigated quickly, fairly, and accurately. Using a variety of federal statutes and investigative techniques including RICO statutes, the FBI focuses investigations on all levels of government — federal, state, and municipal — and all branches of government — executive, legislative, and judicial.
Approximately 50 percent of the FBI’s public corruption investigations involve law enforcement officers, chiefly due to the sheer number of officers in the United States. Similarly, allegations against municipal and state public officials, frequently involving contract or regulatory matters, are regularly investigated because of the large number of such officials.
Some of the FBI’s most sensitive and highest impact investigations center on executive and legislative officials, as evidenced by the recent indictment of a former Illinois Governor, a former Texas Attorney General, and a sitting member of Congress.
The FBI’s Southwest Border Corruption Initiative will continue to target those officials who, by misuse of their public office, negatively affect commerce between the United States and Mexico, aggravate drug trafficking and violent gang activity, and endanger the security of our nation. Finally, when U.S. businesses bribe foreign officials to illegally compete in the international marketplace, the FBI investigates under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act to prevent adverse impact on national security and foreign policy priorities.
In almost every case, greed is the principal motivating factor in public corruption. Over the next five years, government funding will expand, providing increased opportunity for government officials to engage in corruption. Similarly, as the United States increases security at the borders and in the issuance of identification documents, criminal enterprises will expand their recruitment efforts of public and law enforcement officials to bypass the increased security.
Recognizing that any corruption within our nation’s law enforcement agencies directly undermines public safety, the FBI aggressively investigates these crimes. The proliferation of drug trafficking enterprises in the past decade has led to increased corruption of public officials along the southwest border of the United States, who facilitate drug trans-shipments into the United States.
Corrupt officials also facilitate illegal immigration, and this is expected to increase over the next five years. There is a serious concern that drug and alien smuggling organizations could be used by terrorists to facilitate their entry into the United States, and corrupt officials dramatically increase the success of smuggling operations. The FBI will need to increase its efforts in this arena to minimize the national security implications.
Rapid, fair, and accurate investigation of corruption allegations against federal, state, and local officials will remain an FBI imperative, says a ranking FBI official. This is critical because of the sensitive nature of accusations against public officials, coupled with the tremendous loss of public funds and confidence when corruption occurs.
Sources: Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Association of Chiefs of Police
Jim Kouri
Ellie