Posted by My original post on corruption definitions is here.
Public corruption involves a breach of public trust and/or abuse of position by federal, state, or local officials and their private sector accomplices.
Simpler still: Public corruption is a breach of trust. That is the highest standard.
From FBI site:
Public corruption is a breach of trust by federal, state, or local officials—often with the help of private sector accomplices. It’s also the FBI’s top criminal investigative priority. To explain why the Bureau takes public corruption so seriously and how we investigate, we talked with Special Agent Patrick Bohrer, assistant section chief of our Public Corruption/Civil Rights program at FBI Headquarters.
As far as I can tell the definition differs from the legal definition. In other words, to actually prosecute there probably needs to be a quid pro quo. The question then becomes what can affected citizens and taxpayers do? Practically, solutions seem to be confined to keeping on top of local officials, seeking publicity, and elections. Can writing be a difference-maker?
Maybe the way to do it is through other, ancillary offenses such as abuse of power, obstruction, fiduciary duty, police harassment, and falsifying records?
I believe it is very similar to customer satisfaction. ‘You breached my trust and I am dissatisfied.’ Unfortunately, I don’t have the option of not buying that product or service. So I will have to find other ways.
(Another link. The highest standard.)