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Public Corruption Still a Key Focus, Despite Hogsett's Departure

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Joe Hogsett says the U.S. Attorney’s office’s focus on public corruption cases won’t lessen even as he leaves his role leading the office to join the private sector.

Hogsett says when he took office in 2010, a District Court judge told him the office of U.S. Attorney for Indiana’s Southern District hadn’t prosecuted a public corruption case in 20 years. 

Less than a year into his term as U.S. Attorney, Hogsett formed the Public Corruption Working Group, a joint effort of agencies that include the U.S. Attorney’s office, the FBI, the State Police, the IRS, and the Indiana Attorney General’s office. 

Since the creation of that group, Hogsett’s office has indicted two dozen public officials.  And he says he’s confident that will continue.

“All those federal and state agencies working together I think make a very powerful group to root out public corruption wherever it exists,” Hogsett said.

Hogsett says he knows his old office won’t let up.

“We have our senior litigation counsel dedication to doing nothing but public corruption prosecutions,” he said.

Hogsett’s temporary replacement as U.S. Attorney is Jake Minkler, who served as Hogsett’s First Assistant U.S. Attorney.

Brandon Smith is excited to be working for public radio in Indiana. He has previously worked in public radio as a reporter and anchor in mid-Missouri for KBIA Radio out of Columbia. Prior to that, he worked for WSPY Radio in Plano, Illinois as a show host, reporter, producer and anchor. His first job in radio was in another state capitol, in Jefferson City, Missouri, as a reporter for three radio stations around Missouri. Brandon graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2010, with minors in political science and history. He was born and raised in Chicago.
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