Consider This from NPR Trump promised Americans impartial justice. Is he delivering?
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May 12, 2026 
Franco Ordonez, NPR White House correspondent (political context and administration framing), and Ryan Lucas, NPR justice correspondent (DOJ reporting on pardons and corruption prosecutions). They discuss sharp drops in public corruption enforcement. They outline who receives pardons and how staffing cuts at the Public Integrity Section reshaped investigations. They explore the political framing of corruption.
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Corruption Investigations Plummeted Nearly 90 Percent
- Investigations and charged cases handled by the Public Integrity Section fell from about 200 open matters to around 20 since January 2025.
- Ryan Lucas explains that the decline means many resource-intensive corruption probes now lack federal support, especially in smaller jurisdictions.
Public Integrity Section Dramatically Shrunk
- The Public Integrity Section has been drastically reduced from ~35–40 attorneys and ~200 open matters to just two full-time attorneys and ~20 matters under Trump's second term.
- Ryan Lucas traced staffing and caseload shrinkage and reported DOJ did not respond to requests for comment, highlighting institutional rollback.
Pardons for Corruption Cases Increased Under Trump
- President Trump has issued at least 15 pardons for former elected officials or co-conspirators convicted or charged with corruption, many of them Republican allies and donors.
- Ryan Lucas listed examples including a Virginia sheriff and Las Vegas councilwoman Michelle Fiore who pocketed donations for memorials.