Getting their hands caught in the cookie jar...

[MYSONSDAD]

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON Dec 24, 2004 - Former Connecticut Gov. John G. Rowland's
guilty plea Thursday to a felony charge makes him only the latest in
what
is a steadily growing number of federal corruption prosecutions
focusing on government officials.

Although totals have not yet been released, the number of such cases
pursued by federal authorities has grown by as much as 15 percent
over
the last four years, according to a Justice Department official, who
spoke on condition of anonymity.

The increase, said the official, reflects the high priority placed on
public corruption cases rather than a sudden spike in the number of
dishonest politicians.

But the steady slide of high-profile public officials into ethical
and
criminal scandals risks fostering increasing distrust of government
leaders.

"The government is wounded," said Connecticut House Majority Leader
James Amann. "It's something most of us are concerned about. Most
people
have their hearts in the right place to serve the public. But no
matter
how well you construct the laws and make the rules there will always
be
the ones who decide to break the law."

In recent months, two northeast governors have resigned in disgrace
and
a presidential cabinet nominee withdrew his name in a swirl of
controversy over a nanny-housekeeper he employed.

Ethical missteps, ranging from improper campaign contributions and
gifts to racketeering and tax fraud, also led to the downfall of
former
U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., former Sen. Robert
Torricelli,
D-N.J., and Rep. James Traficant, D-Ohio.

And in a case that rocked the nation, former President Bill Clinton's
dalliance with a White House intern led to his impeachment by the
House.
But he survived a Senate trial and finished his term in office.

In the most recent cases:

Rowland pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to steal honest
service in connection with a two-year investigation into corruption
in his
administration.

New Jersey Gov. James E. McGreevey stepped down after acknowledging
that he'd had an affair with another man.

Former New York Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik withdrew his name
from nomination as homeland security secretary after revealing he had
not
paid all required taxes for a family nanny-housekeeper and that the
woman may have been in the country illegally.

In 2000, federal authorities indicted 1,000 public officials,
according
to Justice Department statistics. By 2002, the number had increased
to
1,136, while the 2003 figure, not yet released, stayed relatively
stable. The 2004 total will be up again, reflecting up to a 15
percent
increase over the 2000 figure, said the Justice Department official.

However, he added, "I don't think there is more public corruption
than
10 years ago or 20 years ago. I think we're doing a better job of
finding it and prosecuting it."

Although the number of lawyers assigned to the Criminal Division's
public integrity section has remained constant at about 30, the
Justice
Department works with U.S. attorneys on corruption probes, including
the
Rowland investigation. Justice officials from Attorney General John
Ashcroft on down have said that while counterterrorism remains the
top
priority, ferreting out public corruption also ranks very high.

In response, a number of U.S. attorneys nationwide have set up
special
units to target corrupt politicians, focusing on election violations
and campaign finance investigations.

Lawmakers are also taking notice.

"There is a greater awareness on the part of public officials that
government needs to be run in an ethical way, by ethical people,"
said
Peggy Kerns, director of the Center for Ethics in Government at the
National Conference of State Legislatures.

Legislators "want training to show the public they can operate with
high ethical standards and that they are upholding the public trust,"
said
Kerns, who has visited 11 states since Election Day to provide ethics
training for state officials. While many are instructed about their
state's ethics laws, she said they are also looking for guidance on
core
values.

"Something may be legal, but that doesn't mean it's ethical," said
Kerns, adding that the center is getting a "significant increase" in
requests for training over previous years.


On the Net:

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