Subject: Institutionalized corruption
There is so much to be horrified about with the Trump mis-Administration, but one of the most dangerous and corrosive things he has done to our democracy is to normalize flagrant corruption. This fish rots from the head.

NPR's Up First had a short segment this morning about Trump's corrupt use of the pardon power and general corruption of this administration.

Starting at about 10:21 into the podcast discusses the corruption, focusing mainly on the very corrupt use of the Presidential power to pardon criminals and about how he has gutted the Public Integrity Section of the DOJ, the group that focused on public corruption and election crimes. The section had 35 to 40 attorneys when Trump returned to office and it now has only two.

The Gemini summary:

Attitudes Toward Public Corruption
The podcast discusses new reporting that suggests a fundamental shift in how the administration views the prosecution of corruption. Key points include:

Weakening Oversight: A move away from traditional independent oversight and a more skeptical view of the agencies responsible for investigating public officials.

Executive Discretion: The reporting indicates a preference for executive power over the standard legal frameworks that have historically governed ethics and accountability in Washington.

Misuse of Pardons and Ethical Breaches
The segment connects the administration's "alarming attitudes" to a broader culture of perceived impunity. Your recent context and broader reporting on this topic suggest:

Institutional Friction: There is a growing concern that the administration sees the legal system not as a neutral arbiter, but as a tool that can be redirected or bypassed.

Systemic Concerns: Critics mentioned in the reporting argue that this posture risks normalizing behaviors like cronyism or the use of public office for personal gain, as the "deterrent" of prosecution is perceived to be fading.

The episode positions these shifts as part of a larger trend where the administration is testing the limits of what is considered "legal" versus "ethical" for those in power.

Kleptocracy + kakistocracy + idiocracy = Trumpism. Thanks to all you Dopes who voted for this.