The Trump administration has taken actions that observers say weaken federal efforts against public corruption, including pardoning at least 15 former elected officials or co-conspirators convicted of corruption offenses and drastically reducing the staff of the Justice Department's Public Integrity Section.
Key Details
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Pardons: President Trump granted full, unconditional pardons to at least 15 individuals convicted of corruption, including former Las Vegas councilwoman Michele Fiore (convicted of misusing $70,000 in donations), a Virginia sheriff (bribery), and the former speaker of the Tennessee House (kickback scheme). More than half of those pardoned were Republicans or Trump supporters.
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Public Integrity Section gutted: The unit, created after Watergate to investigate public corruption and election crimes, had about 40 full-time attorneys and 175-200 open matters in January 2025. As of early 2026, it has roughly 2 attorneys and about 20 open matters.
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Impact on prosecutions: Former DOJ prosecutor John Keller stated that the changes have created a "chilling effect" on career prosecutors pursuing public corruption cases. Many open matters have been declined or transferred to U.S. attorneys' offices, where they are often dropped.
Statements
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson defended the pardons, stating they were for individuals "victimized" by the prior administration's "weaponized justice system."
Legal experts Dan Greenberg (Cato Institute) and Richard Briffault (Columbia Law) characterized the actions as indicating a disregard for the seriousness of corruption.
Context
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The gutting of the Public Integrity Section followed the resignation of its acting chief in February 2025, after DOJ leadership directed him to dismiss a corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
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Observers say smaller states and rural areas will be most affected, as the section formerly provided resources and expertise for complex local corruption cases.