Thought Theater

FBI: 2,000 Corruption Investigations In Progress genre: Polispeak & Six Degrees of Speculation

The New York Times reports that the FBI currently has some 2,000 investigations into public corruption. This includes the Abramoff and Cunningham cases. Read the full article here.

From the New York Times:

As one of the Bush administration's least known anticrime efforts, the F.B.I. initiative has yielded an unexpectedly rich array of cases. The results suggest that wrongdoing by public officials at all levels of government is deeply rooted and widespread. Several of the highest profile cases in which the F.B.I. played an active role involve Republicans.

In a telephone interview on Wednesday, the F.B.I. director, Robert S. Mueller III, said the bureau was uniquely positioned to investigate corruption. Recalling his days as a prosecutor in Boston, he said: "Having prosecuted public corruption cases, you come to realize first of all that public corruption tears the fabric of a democratic society. You lose faith in public officials, it leads to cynicism, it leads to distrust in government."

The F.B.I. is starting a Web site, reportcorruption.fbi.gov, through which people can send tips on corruption, although not anonymously, to be reviewed by agents at the bureau's headquarters.

While these cases have yet to be completed, it is heartening to see what appears to be steady progress in these prosecutions. Given the recent troubles with the C.I.A., it appears that the F.B.I. has been able to keep a relatively low profile.