ABC-7 at 4: FBI El Paso offers tips to make it easier for the community to report public corruption
El Paso, TX(KVIA-TV)—Most public officials – elected and appointed – are honest in their work and committed to serving their fellow citizens. Unfortunately, a minor percentage abuses the public trust. Agent Jeanette Harper from the FBI El Paso field office explains that the FBI's top criminal priority is public corruption.
Agent Harper explains that it erodes public confidence and undermines the strength of our democracy. The public entrusts its officials to do an honest job, and when they fail to do so, the community loses faith in the institutions that provide critical services and use taxpayer funds. Public corruption investigations focus on abusing the public position and/or misusing governmental powers for private gain. While some citizens may not recognize signs of public corruption, others may observe bribery schemes or embezzlement and are unsure what to do about it.
With the public's help, the FBI can work to identify corrupt acts. Because these types of criminal acts are often done in secret, public corruption is not usually apparent. Agent Harper says that if an official or government employee is not acting within regulations, not employing appropriate oversight officials or authorities, or is repeatedly interacting with a particular set of "clients" to provide the same services, something is likely amiss.
There is no threshold; the FBI holds public officials accountable, as any amount of corruption undermines confidence in government. There are steps should people take if they suspect corrupt activities by a public official:
Report it to the FBI's tip line at tips.fbi.gov or you can call 800-CALL-FBI. You can choose to remain anonymous.
Examples of public corruption could include:
o Government officials, such as Department of Motor Vehicle employees, city inspectors, taxing or zoning assessors, or even town councils or mayors - who may take part in a bribery scheme;
o contracting officials at all levels, including those who manage government contracts or regulatory permits;
o school resource officers who manage school accounts, who may take part in a kickback scheme;
o local officials colluding with real estate investors to rig the bidding process at foreclosure auctions;
o a person representing the judicial branch - a judge, member of the jury or court personnel - taking bribes for favorable judicial consideration on a case; or,
o a person representing law enforcement who steals drugs from criminals, embezzles government funds, falsifies records, or smuggles contraband.
