The Department of Justice shows its priorities through the use of its prosecutorial discretion, as well as prosecutorial intensity, when choosing which cases to aggressively pursue.
From the fruits of their labors we know their priorities:
- Bankers walk free, barely inconvenienced
- Torturers and war criminals got immunity
- Money-launderers faced no jail
- Fines have been smaller than the profits made by fraud
Yet:
- Minor non-violent drug offenses continue to make the bulk of arrests and prosecutions, mostly on minority youth
- Whistleblowers are being crushed, while the crimes they reveal get immunity (Kiriakoy, Manning)
- Cannabis dispensaries are raided against state laws
- Prosecutors pursue the weakest and poorest, ignoring the powerful (Swartz)
- Plea bargains 99%, Justice 1%