Overview

• The Department of Justice is considering a proposal to eliminate the requirement for Public Integrity Section (PIN) approval of congressional prosecutions.
• The PIN review process, established post-Watergate, has served as a safeguard against politically motivated prosecutions for decades.
• The proposed change would allow U.S. attorneys, many of whom are presidential appointees, to pursue cases against members of Congress without PIN oversight.
• Former PIN attorneys warn that bypassing this layer of scrutiny could lead to the politicization of corruption investigations, particularly near election periods.
• The proposal remains under active consideration, with no final decision yet, sparking debate about its potential impact on election integrity and DOJ norms.