In 150 days, the Trump administration has overhauled the Justice Department, removing safeguards meant to prevent political corruption. Experts warn the dismantling of anti-corruption mechanisms—including mass firings at the DOJ’s Public Integrity Section and the disbanding of FBI units that probe congressional misconduct—has created a climate ripe for abuse.
White House and DOJ policies now prioritize immigration enforcement and violent crime. Inspectors general have been dismissed, corruption charges dropped, and the department’s independence from presidential influence has eroded. The DOJ has also paused enforcement of foreign bribery and lobbying laws and scaled back cryptocurrency investigations.
Former officials and legal scholars say the changes have politicized public corruption cases and hollowed out internal oversight. The Public Integrity Section, once 35 lawyers strong, now has just a handful remaining.
The Biden DOJ was also criticized for declining white-collar prosecutions, but Trump’s critics say his actions go further, abandoning foundational principles of post-Watergate justice.
“This isn’t just policy,” said law professor Paul Rosenzweig. “It’s the destruction of belief in incorruptibility.”
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