Could tip lines cause false public corruption charges?

On Behalf of | Jun 19, 2019 | Public Corruption Offenses

The mandate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is to investigate alleged violations of federal law across the country, including here in California. In doing so, the organization uses a variety of information gathering and investigative methods. In the digital age, one of those tools is the internet. For instance, the FBI has a public corruption webpage, along with other sites such as social media pages, designed to take in tips regarding possible violations of federal law by public officials.

In a politically divisive age, candidates for public office and incumbents need as much of an edge as they can get in order to retain or obtain their positions. Everyone has an opinion regarding what constitutes wrongdoing, especially in the public sector. Both of these circumstances could easily lead to well-intentioned individuals providing false information to the FBI regarding a public official.

Even though a public official may later be cleared of any wrongdoing when it comes to public corruption, the damage may already be done. Certainly, some people do violate the law, but not everyone does. Even the appearance of impropriety could land a public figure in hot water with law enforcement officials. If that happens, taking swift action to protect an individual’s rights is needed.

Even the accusations of public corruption can damage a person’s reputation and lead to unemployment. Without a proper defense, those allegations could also lead to incarceration, fines and other penalties. California public figures facing such charges have a lot to lose and enlisting the right support as soon as possible could make all the difference.

FindLaw Network
Gary Jay Kaufman
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