Why We Need a 21st-Century Greylord
Today’s technology offers tools that the 1980s FBI could only dream of. A national corruption-reporting repository, jointly managed by the FBI’s Public Integrity Section and the Department of Justice, could serve as a secure platform for citizens, lawyers, paralegals, and digital investigators (“netizens”) to submit verifiable evidence of judicial wrongdoing.
Crowdsourced oversight—when responsibly managed—has already proven effective. The Letitia James investigation, for instance, was sparked by a private investigator who forwarded documented proof to federal authorities, leading to formal charges. That model can be replicated nationally to empower ethical accountability.
By combining modern surveillance capabilities, digital documentation, and citizen engagement, a new Greylord-style initiative could root out the judicial rot that quietly undermines public faith.
As corruption becomes more sophisticated, oversight must evolve beyond courtroom walls and bar association ethics panels. The FBI must once again make public corruption its top priority—this time, with full transparency, digital collaboration, and protection for whistleblowers who dare to expose the truth.
