NEW YORK, Jan. 15 (UPI) -- Since 2002, the FBI has seen a surge of more than 40 percent in public-corruption indictments.
Currently, the FBI has 2,233 cases pending nationwide, compared with 1,575 four years ago, Time magazine reports.
Much of the increase stems from the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. As the FBI turned more of its attention and manpower to counter-terrorism, the bureau handed off most of its drug-related inquiries to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Since only some of the former drug agents were moved to the counter-terrorism division, the shift in focus freed 200 additional agents to combat public corruption, says special agent Chris Swecker, the criminal-division chief.
By 2003, senior FBI officials were fanning out to field offices across the United States to emphasis that public corruption had become the criminal division's No. 1 priority.
