Course Description
Focuses on the discovery and documentation of corrupt practices in politics and administration. Provides an overview of the public employee’s obligations and rights and of the laws and regulations governing criminal investigations. Illustrates themes with case studies of white-collar crimes and scandals involving public officials.
Credits: 3
Course Leadership
- Course Coordinator: Eugene O’Neill
- Online Education Resource Status:
Learning Goals
7.4 Investigation and Operational Inspection: Students will understand how to investigate criminal and managerial fraud, waste, abuse and corruption
Course Embedded General Advising
Course Embedded Career Advising
Topical coverage expectations – what topics the course is expected to cover
- Corruption in a Democracy
- Types of Investigations
- Obtaining Documentary Evidence
- Privacy Rights of Public Employees
- Gathering Testimonial Evidence
- Fraud in Government Purchasing
- The Office of the Inspector General
- The False Claims Act
Key capstone project skills to be covered
Textbooks available based on the MPA loaner textbook program
- Bazley, T. (2008). Investigating white collar crime. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall. (Available through the MPAOIG Textbook Loan Program)
- Anechiarico: The Pursuit of Absolute Integrity
- Guerin, Lisa. (2010) The Essential Guide to Workplace Investigations: How to Handle Employee Complaints & Problems Paperback. (Available through the MPAOIG Textbook Loan Program)
Open Educational Resources by Topics to be Covered
Module 1: Corruption in a Democracy (two week period)
Bazley:
- Chapter 1: Intro: Why Bother?
- Chapter 2: Getting Started
Ferraro:
- Chapter 1: The Process of Investigating
Audio:
Confessions of a White Collar Criminal (CUNY Radio Podcast)…(first hour contains Fraud Triangle)
Video:
Boss Tweed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YildL_ilQFY
Module 2: Types of Investigations (two week period)
Bazley:
- Chapter 8: The Grand Jury and Criminal Charge
- Chapter 9 : Civil and Administrative Investigations
Ferraro:
- Chapter 2: The Fundamentals of Fact Finding
Module 3: Obtaining Documentary Evidence (two week period)
Guerin:
- Chapter 1: Workplace Investigations: Overview
- Ten Steps to a Successful Investigation
Bazley:
- Chapter 3: The Paper Chase: Documentary Evidence
- Chapter 5: Search Warrants
Audio:
Audio file with transcript
Audio file with transcript
Module 4 : Privacy Rights of Public Employees (two week period)
Ferraro:
- Chapter 4: Local Challenges and Avoiding Litigation
Documents:
- Eavesdropping vs. Intercepting Communications
- Best Practices for Seizing Electronic Evidence parts 1 and 2
- Obtaining Electronic Evidence plus chart
Module 5: Gathering Testimonial Evidence (two week period)
Ferraro:
- Chapter 6: Section 3a and b: Employee Theft
Bazley:
- Chapter 4: Interviews- Gathering Testimonial Evidence
Guerin:
- Chapter 3: Gathering Information
Supreme Court Case:
- Garrity vs. New Jersey (public employees between a rock and a hard place)
Audio:
- Miranda an the Fifth Amendment
- Interrogating Government Employees
PowerPoint:
- Ethics in Government (Book out of print: Slides available)
- Chapter 6: The Internal Control Act
Module 6: Fraud in Government Purchasing (two week period)
Ferraro:
- Chapter 6: Section 5: Fraud and Embezzlement
Guerin:
- Chapter 4: Making and documenting your Decision
Documents:
- Procurement Methods Flowchart: Choices and related OIG Checkpoints
- Possible Badges of Fraud in Procurement
- Basic Procurement Methods
Module 7: The Office of the Inspector General (two week period)
- The Inspector General Act of 1978
- The I.G. Reform Act of 2008
Module 8: The False Claims Act ( a one week module)
- The False Claims Act
