FBI folds the public corruption squad that aided Jack Smith's Trump investigations
Source: NBC News
FBI folds the public corruption squad that aided Jack Smith's Trump investigations
The bureau's Washington Field Office is shutting down a unit that had come under scrutiny from Trump allies in Congress.
May 15, 2025, 12:31 PM EDT / Updated May 15, 2025, 2:11 PM EDT
By Ryan J. Reilly
WASHINGTON — The FBI’s Washington Field Office is folding its federal public corruption squad, the same unit that aided Jack Smith’s special counsel investigation into President Donald Trump, three people familiar with the matter tell NBC News.
The field office has three units that work on public corruption issues, but this one — known internally as "CR15" — was deeply involved in the bureau’s "Arctic Frost" investigation, which was the precursor to the Smith probe into efforts to overturn the 2020 election results by Trump and his allies. That investigation resulted in one of the two federal criminal cases against Trump, both of which were dropped after his election.
FBI special agents assigned to the squad will be reassigned. A FBI official said the change was part of a broader reorganization at the Washington Field Office and that there would be additional changes to come — and that public corruption cases would still be pursued.
The move to shutter the unit comes amid a major shift of FBI resources towards immigration enforcement, an area that is primarily the responsibility of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which is part of the Department of Homeland Security. A top leader in the FBI’s Washington Field Office was also recently reassigned, two people familiar with the matter said. A FBI official said the person was not reassigned for any adversarial reason.
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Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/fbi-folds-public-corruption-squad-aided-jack-smiths-trump-investigatio-rcna207029