A bombshell report from The Washington Post has revealed a troubling plan by the Department of Justice (DOJ) under Attorney General Pam Bondi to pursue criminal investigations against lawmakers who have opposed Donald Trump — and do so without the usual safeguards against political abuse.
Currently, before any investigation into a lawmaker can move forward, federal prosecutors have to get approval from the Public Integrity Section (PIN) — the DOJ office that handles corruption cases and ensures political neutrality. Bondi wants to get rid of that step.
This would allow federal prosecutors — many handpicked by Trump — to bypass the watchdogs and directly indict elected officials with no one standing in their way.
The report highlights a major shift in how the DOJ handles such investigations. Under the new rules, “a long-standing provision in the Justice Department’s manual that outlines how investigations of elected officials should be conducted” would be discarded. This would allow for politically charged prosecutions, especially against lawmakers who have criticized or opposed Trump.
Former Public Integrity Section attorney Dan Schwager raised alarms about the potential consequences of such a move. He warned that the removal of oversight would enable politically appointed U.S. attorneys to target those they view as enemies of the administration.
“The reason you have the section is exactly what this administration says they want, which is stop politicization,” Schwager explained. “That requires a respect and ability to understand how the laws have been applied in similar situations in the past. The only way to ensure that public officials on both sides of the aisle are treated similarly is to have as much institutional knowledge and experience as possible.”
Political corruption investigations are typically scrutinized more carefully around elections to prevent influencing voters. Even an investigation that doesn’t lead to charges can affect the political landscape.
As it stands, the DOJ’s manual requires PIN’s approval — not just consultation — before charges are brought against a member of Congress for actions related to their public office or campaign activities. The attorney general does have the final say on whether an indictment is filed, but this system of checks and balances has helped prevent the abuse of prosecutorial power.
But under Bondi’s plan, those protections would vanish. The decision to indict would fall squarely to the attorney general — who could use that power to target Trump’s political opponents, with no oversight or institutional review.
