Department leadership is currently revising this section. The Consultation Requirement is suspended while revisions are ongoing. [June 2025]

Consultation with the Public Integrity Section of the Criminal Division is required in each federal criminal matter that involves alleged or suspected violations of federal or state campaign financing laws, federal patronage crimes, or corruption of the election process.

Federal prosecutors and agents must consult with the Public Integrity Section prior to opening any such matter or taking any potentially overt investigative step, including but not limited to interviewing witnesses, issuing grand jury subpoenas, executing search warrants, or conducting surveillance. This provision does not, however, apply to intaking a complaint, provided that the intaking component advises the complainant that receiving a complaint in no way implies that there is or will be any federal criminal investigation of the allegation.

Federal prosecutors shall also consult with the Public Integrity Section before instituting grand jury proceedings relating to, or filing an information or seeking an indictment charging, a campaign finance, ballot fraud, or patronage offense.

Matters for which consultation with the Public Integrity Section is required include, but are not limited to, investigations and prosecutions of the offenses codified in: 18 U.S.C. §§ 592 to 611; 52 U.S.C. §§ 10307, 20511, 20701, 30101-30145; and prosecutive theories that involve election fraud or campaign fund raising violations using 18 U.S.C. §§ 241, 242, and 245; 18 U.S.C. § 371; 18 U.S.C. §§ 1341, 1343, and 1346; 18 U.S.C. § 1952; and 18 U.S.C. §§ 1956 and 1957.

[cited in JM 9-43.100] [updated August 2022]