Report: Obama administration prosecuting fewer federal government officials than Bush, Clinton

A new report suggests that the Obama administration is prosecuting a smaller number of federal officials accused of public corruption than the past two administrations. The reason for the decline in prosecutions is currently unknown, but it is certainly a troubling revelation.

According to the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) 2014 congressional public integrity report, President Barack Obama’s administration sought 16 percent fewer public corruption charges against federal government employees than the Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush administrations.

Here’s a look at the number of annual filed prosecutions:

Obama: 364 (2014)
Bush: 445 (2005)
Clinton: 527 (1995)

There were 2.86 million federal government employees (excluding military personnel) in 1995, 2.65 million in 2005 and 2.66 million in 2014.

Here is a chart looking at federal employees charged with misconduct between 1995 and 2014.

One public official believes an emphasis on integrity begins at the top.

“What’s really interesting is that corruption is not a partisan issue,” said Arizona Republican Congressman Matt Salmon in an interview with the Daily Caller. “Republicans, Democrats, independents all demand integrity in their government. Yet during this administration, we’ve seen Fast and Furious, we are still waiting for answers on Benghazi, the IRS scandals, over and over and over again.”

The obvious conclusion is that the federal government in all branches has more power than ever before. Therefore, a greater number of individuals yield power and influence, which can then shield them from any sort of investigation into wrongdoing.