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The move is part of a broader reorganization of the field
office, said one FBI official familiar with the plans, adding
that the bureau would continue to pursue investigations into
alleged corruption by public officials.
It was not immediately clear where the agents on the squad might
be reassigned, though the office does have other squads focused
on public corruption in the District of Columbia and Virginia.
The people who confirmed the FBI’s decision insisted on
anonymity to discuss personnel changes that had not been
previously announced.
The action comes as the Trump administration has overhauled its
approach to enforcement of public corruption, including by
moving to dramatically slash the size of a prestigious section
of Justice Department prosecutors responsible for pursuing cases
of fraud and corruption against elected officials.
The administration also has announced a pause in criminal
enforcement of a law that prohibits U.S. companies from paying
bribes to foreign officials for business. In addition, Justice
Department leaders in February urged a judge to dismiss a public
corruption case against New York Mayor Eric Adams so he could
support the administration’s efforts to crack down on illegal
immigration.
The dissolving of the squad is consistent with an ongoing
shuffling of FBI priorities as the bureau under Director Kash
Patel pivots to focus more on illegal immigration, drug
trafficking and violent crime, core priorities of the Trump
administration.
The Washington field office is one of the largest in the
country, responsible for investigating national security
threats, public corruption and other crimes in the nation's
capital. The federal public corruption squad has handled
significant investigations over the years, including into
efforts by Trump and allies to overturn the results of the 2020
presidential election.
The development was first reported by NBC News.
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