Federal prosecutors could soon be allowed to indict members of Congress without first obtaining approval from the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section (PIN), according to three people familiar with a proposal recently presented to attorneys in the division.
The proposal would also eliminate the long-standing requirement that investigators consult PIN lawyers at key stages of public corruption probes, fundamentally changing internal DOJ guidelines that have governed how cases involving elected officials are handled for decades.
The Public Integrity Section, headquartered in Washington, has historically overseen investigations and prosecutions of public officials and voting-related crimes. Created after the Watergate scandal, the division has significantly contracted under the Trump administration—from roughly 30 prosecutors during the Biden era to fewer than five today. At least one attorney was removed, others left over policy disagreements, and some were reassigned to other DOJ divisions.
The Justice Department is now considering a permanent downsizing of the section, shifting more responsibility to the nation’s 93 U.S. attorney’s offices. If adopted, the changes would strip away an additional layer of oversight meant to safeguard against politically motivated or legally unsound prosecutions. PIN prosecutors were instrumental in investigations involving New York Mayor Eric Adams and former Senator Bob Menendez.
A DOJ spokesman confirmed the proposal but emphasized that no final decision has been made.
Under current rules, PIN attorneys must approve—not just review—charges against members of Congress if the allegations relate to official conduct or campaign activities. They are also required to be consulted before key investigative actions such as issuing subpoenas or executing search warrants. While the attorney general retains ultimate authority over indictments, PIN lawyers have historically acted as a safeguard in sensitive cases.
The DOJ has argued that decentralizing oversight would empower prosecutors in the field. “The point of the review is to ensure that equal responsibility is held in the field at U.S. attorney’s offices as opposed to centralizing all authority in PIN,” a department spokesman said.
PIN also oversees voting-related matters, including the department’s response to disputed elections. In early 2025, President Trump removed Corey Amundson, then the head of PIN, during a broader reshuffling of senior DOJ officials. Amundson had been a career attorney and was originally appointed during Trump’s first term.
In February, most of PIN’s senior leadership resigned following a standoff with Trump officials, who had demanded that a PIN attorney approve the dismissal of corruption charges against Mayor Adams. The attorneys refused.
