Important Disclaimer
All entries on this page reflect publicly reported information from court filings, official ethics complaints, inspector general reports, and credible news sources. Inclusion on this page does not imply guilt. Individuals listed here may be subjects of investigations, targets of complaints, or defendants in pending cases. Under the American legal system, all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Legal status labels are applied carefully and updated as cases progress.
The Watch List tracks categories of active corruption concerns in American public life. Unlike the Historical Worst rankings, which reflect completed cases with definitive outcomes, this page monitors ongoing developments based on publicly available records. We prioritize institutional patterns and systemic issues over individual names, except where formal legal proceedings are a matter of public record.
How Entries Are Added
Items appear on this list when they meet at least one of the following criteria: (1) a formal indictment or criminal charge has been filed by federal or state prosecutors; (2) a formal ethics complaint has been filed with the Senate Ethics Committee, House Ethics Committee, or equivalent body; (3) a published inspector general report has identified specific wrongdoing; or (4) a credible news investigation has been corroborated by documentary evidence. Items are removed when cases are resolved (conviction, acquittal, dismissal, or settlement) and transferred to the appropriate historical record.
Congressional Stock Trading
Since the passage of the STOCK Act in 2012, members of Congress have been required to publicly disclose stock trades within 45 days and are prohibited from trading on material nonpublic information obtained through their official duties. Despite these requirements, compliance has been uneven, and questions about enforcement persist.
Congressional Stock Trading Concerns
Systemic Issue — Multiple members, both parties
Multiple academic and journalistic investigations have documented patterns of stock trading by members of Congress that correlate with their committee assignments and access to nonpublic information. A 2022 analysis by Unusual Whales found that members of Congress who traded stocks outperformed the S&P 500 index, with trades in sectors overseen by their committees performing particularly well. The DOJ and SEC have opened investigations into specific trading patterns but, as of this writing, have not brought charges against sitting members related to STOCK Act violations. The most common enforcement action has been civil fines for late disclosure, which carry a maximum penalty of $200.
PPP Loan Fraud Prosecutions
The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), created under the CARES Act in 2020, distributed approximately $793 billion in forgivable loans to businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program's speed and minimal initial oversight created enormous opportunities for fraud. Federal investigations have resulted in thousands of prosecutions, including cases involving public officials who used their positions to fraudulently obtain PPP funds.
PPP Fraud by Public Officials
Ongoing Federal Prosecutions — DOJ COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force
The DOJ's COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force has charged more than 3,500 defendants with pandemic-related fraud as of 2024, seizing or recovering over $1.4 billion. A subset of these cases involves state and local government officials who used their positions to facilitate fraudulent PPP applications or who personally obtained PPP funds under false pretenses. Multiple city council members, county officials, and state employees have been convicted. The SBA Inspector General has identified at least $200 billion in potentially fraudulent PPP loans, with investigations expected to continue for years.
DOJ Public Integrity Cases
The Department of Justice's Public Integrity Section (PIN) continues to be the primary federal unit responsible for prosecuting corruption by public officials. The section handles a rolling docket of cases at any given time. The following reflects the general categories of active enforcement rather than specific pending cases.
Ongoing Public Integrity Investigations
DOJ Public Integrity Section
The Public Integrity Section's annual reports document a consistent pipeline of federal public corruption cases. In recent years, the section has focused on: bribery and honest services fraud by state and local officials; corruption in federal contracting; election fraud and voter suppression schemes; and abuse of authority by law enforcement. The section typically obtains between 300 and 600 federal public corruption convictions per year, though the number fluctuates based on the size and complexity of cases in the pipeline. Recent areas of emphasis include public corruption related to infrastructure spending and corruption in tribal governance.
Ethics Complaints & Proceedings
The Senate Select Committee on Ethics and the House Committee on Ethics (formerly the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct) are the bodies responsible for investigating allegations of misconduct by members of Congress. Ethics proceedings are often slow and confidential in their early stages; only cases that have reached the public record are noted here.
Congressional Ethics Enforcement
Senate Ethics Committee & House Ethics Committee
Both chambers maintain ethics committees that investigate complaints against members. The House also has an independent Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), created in 2008, which conducts preliminary investigations and can refer matters to the full Ethics Committee. Common categories of ethics complaints include: misuse of campaign funds for personal expenses, failure to properly disclose financial interests, acceptance of improper gifts, conflicts of interest in committee work, and misuse of official resources. The committees can recommend censure, reprimand, fine, or expulsion, though the full chamber must vote on the recommended sanction.
State-Level Active Cases
Corruption cases at the state level are prosecuted both by state attorneys general and by federal prosecutors (typically through the local U.S. Attorney's office, with support from the DOJ Public Integrity Section). The following notes general categories of active state-level corruption concerns.
State & Local Corruption Pipeline
Federal and State Prosecutors
Active areas of state-level corruption prosecution include: municipal contract rigging and bid fraud, particularly in construction and infrastructure projects; police corruption and civil rights violations; public school system fraud (including ongoing cases from the Atlanta cheating scandal model); state pension fund corruption and pay-to-play in investment management; corruption in state licensing and regulatory agencies; and corruption related to legalized gambling expansion, including casino licensing and sports betting regulation. Illinois, New York, New Jersey, and Louisiana continue to produce the highest volumes of state-level corruption prosecutions.
Mayor Brandon Scott (D-Baltimore)
Mayor of Baltimore — IG Lawsuit, Spending Abuse, Program Fraud
Baltimore’s inspector general filed an unprecedented lawsuit against Mayor Scott in February 2026 (Cumming et al. v. Mayor & City Council), alleging obstruction of fraud investigations. Scott’s administration cut the IG’s access to financial records and responded to subpoenas with 200+ pages of redacted documents. The IG found fraudulent invoices in Scott’s MONSE/SideStep program ($694,798 to 15 contractors, at least 2 committed fraud) and a data breach exposing 701 juveniles’ information. Separately, the IG documented $890,176 in office spending on food, flowers, and parties (including $52,588 at Ravens/Orioles suites), and a $163,495 taxpayer-funded Jeep Grand Wagoneer — the most expensive government vehicle in Maryland — purchased while Baltimore closed an $85 million budget deficit. The FBI raided Scott’s Safe Streets program in 2023 over Black Guerrilla Family gang connections. Campaign finance violations include at least 8 donors exceeding legal limits and a $5,000 donation from J.P. Grant (linked to predecessor Catherine Pugh’s corruption) weeks before a $12 million contract addition. Baltimore’s State’s Attorney terminated cooperation with MONSE, citing a “veil of secrecy.” No criminal charges have been filed against Scott personally.
Recent Federal Cases & Resolved Watchlist Items
The following entries reflect major corruption cases that have recently been resolved or are in their final stages. These are transitioning from the watch list to the permanent historical record.
Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ)
U.S. Senator — Gold Bar Bribery Case
Convicted July 16, 2024 on all 16 counts including extortion, conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and acting as a foreign agent for Egypt and Qatar. FBI seized $480,000 in cash (stuffed in boots and jacket pockets), approximately $150,000 in gold bars, and a Mercedes-Benz convertible. Performed corrupt favors for NJ businessmen, helped Egypt access $300 million in U.S. military aid. Sentenced to 11 years in federal prison (January 29, 2025). This was Menendez’s second federal corruption trial; the first ended in a mistrial in 2017.
Rep. George Santos (R-NY)
U.S. Representative — Expelled December 2023
Expelled from Congress on December 1, 2023 by a vote of 311–114—only the sixth member expelled in U.S. history. Pleaded guilty August 19, 2024 to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Stole identities of 11 people to make fraudulent campaign donations and laundered money. Sentenced to 87 months (7+ years) in federal prison in April 2025. Sentence commuted by President Trump after approximately three months in custody; all unpaid fines and restitution canceled.
Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL)
U.S. Representative — FEMA Fund Theft
Indicted November 2025 on charges of conspiring to steal approximately $5 million in FEMA disaster-relief funds connected to a COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract awarded to her family’s home-health-care company. Allegedly laundered funds to her 2022 special election campaign. House Ethics Committee found her guilty of 25 of 27 charges (March 26, 2026), including multiple campaign finance violations. Faces up to 53 years in prison if convicted on federal charges. Pleaded not guilty. Expulsion vote pending.
Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX)
U.S. Representative — Azerbaijan/Mexico Bribery
Indicted May 2024 on 12 counts of bribery, conspiracy, and money laundering. Allegedly accepted approximately $600,000 in bribes from an Azerbaijani government-owned oil company and a Mexico City bank (2014–2021) in exchange for using his office to influence U.S. foreign policy. Re-elected in November 2024 despite the indictment. Pardoned by President Trump in December 2025 before going to trial.
Feeding Our Future (Minnesota)
Largest Pandemic Relief Fraud — $250 Million
The largest pandemic relief fraud in U.S. history. The nonprofit Feeding Our Future and its associates submitted fraudulent meal count sheets and invoices to the USDA’s Federal Child Nutrition Program, claiming to distribute meals that were never served. 78+ defendants charged; 63+ convicted as of early 2026. Key convictions include founder Aimee Bock (guilty all counts, March 2025) and multiple associates sentenced to 10–17.5 years. Trials and sentencing are ongoing.
Presidential Clemency & Corruption Cases (2024–2025)
Multiple corruption convictions have been affected by presidential clemency actions. President Biden commuted the sentence of “Kids for Cash” judge Michael Conahan (December 2024), drawing backlash from victims’ families. President Trump commuted George Santos’s 87-month sentence after approximately three months served, pardoned Henry Cuellar before trial, and previously commuted the sentences of Rod Blagojevich and Kwame Kilpatrick. The pattern of presidential pardons and commutations in corruption cases raises questions about accountability and the finality of corruption prosecutions.
Dark Money & Campaign Finance
Since the Supreme Court's Citizens United v. FEC decision (2010) and subsequent rulings, the volume of undisclosed political spending has increased dramatically. While not illegal under current law, dark money spending raises persistent corruption concerns because it allows unlimited political spending without public disclosure of the donors.
Undisclosed Political Spending
Systemic Issue — Post-Citizens United
The Brennan Center for Justice estimates that dark money spending in federal elections has exceeded $1 billion since 2010. Much of this spending is routed through 501(c)(4) "social welfare" organizations that are not required to disclose their donors. While this spending is legal under current law, it creates structural corruption risks by allowing wealthy individuals, corporations, and foreign-connected entities to influence elections and policy without public accountability. The FEC has been criticized for failing to enforce existing disclosure requirements, with commissioners frequently deadlocking along partisan lines on enforcement actions. Several states have enacted their own disclosure laws, and legal challenges to dark money protections continue.
How to Read This Page
The Watch List is designed to be a living document that reflects the current state of publicly documented corruption concerns. It differs from the historical rankings in several important ways:
- No severity scores are assigned to active cases. Scores are only calculated after a case reaches a definitive legal outcome (conviction, acquittal, settlement, or dismissal).
- Legal status labels are conservative. We use "Investigated" for cases where an investigation is publicly confirmed, "Charged" or "Indicted" for cases where formal charges have been filed, and "Alleged" only when credible evidence exists but no formal proceedings have begun.
- Entries are categorical where possible. To avoid unfairly targeting individuals whose cases have not been resolved, we describe systemic patterns and general categories rather than naming specific officials, except where formal legal proceedings are a matter of public court record.
- Updates are continuous. As cases are resolved, entries are removed from the Watch List and transferred to the appropriate historical record. New entries are added as new public proceedings or credible investigations emerge.
This page is updated as new public information becomes available. If you believe any entry on this page contains an error or should be updated, please submit a correction through our corrections process. Living subjects named in any entry have a right of response, as described in our corrections policy.
Sources & Citations
- 1 Gov Report U.S. Department of Justice, Public Integrity Section, Annual Report to Congress (most recent available).
- 2 Gov Report U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General, Top Management Challenges: Pandemic Relief Oversight (2024).
- 3 Gov Report DOJ COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force, press releases and case summaries (2021–present).
- 4 Academic Unusual Whales, "Congressional Trading Report" (2022, 2023 editions).
- 5 News Brennan Center for Justice, "Secret Spending in the States" and dark money tracking reports (2020–present).
- 6 Gov Report Congressional Research Service, "The STOCK Act: Background and Recent Developments" (updated 2023).
- 7 Legal Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 310 (2010).
- 8 Court United States v. Robert Menendez, Case No. 23-cr-490 (S.D.N.Y. 2024). Verdict, sentencing.
- 9 Court United States v. George Santos, Case No. 23-cr-234 (E.D.N.Y. 2024). Guilty plea, sentencing, commutation.
- 10 Gov Report House Ethics Committee, Investigation of Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, March 26, 2026.
- 11 Court United States v. Henry Cuellar, Case No. 24-cr-XXX (S.D. Tex. 2024). Indictment, presidential pardon.
- 12 Court United States v. Aimee Bock et al., Case No. 22-cr-223 (D. Minn. 2022–2025). Multiple trials and convictions.
- 13 News NPR, PBS NewsHour, CNN, NBC News — coverage of Menendez, Santos, Cuellar, Cherfilus-McCormick cases (2023–2026).