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The Department of Investigation would be overhauled and given new powers – including the authority to prosecute corrupt government employees — if a prominent white-collar lawyer running for mayor wins the race.

The agency would be rebranded the “Citywide Department of Public Integrity” and rely on a team of “elite anti-corruption prosecutors” who’d fast track cases through a newly created NYC Corruption Court under mayoral candidate Jim Walden’s plan.

“This reimagines DOI and turn it into something more like the [U.S.] Department of Justice,” Walden told The Post.


  Walden wants to rebrand the Department of Investigations to the “Citywide Department of Public Integrity.” Helayne Seidman Walden wants to rebrand the Department of Investigations to the “Citywide Department of Public Integrity.” Helayne Seidman

DOI is an investigative law enforcement agency that works with prosecutors on criminal matters.

Walden said he’d push for legislation allowing the proposed new office to directly prosecute misdemeanors and felonies, and it would provide whistleblowers amnesty in exchange for cooperation.

The office would be independent like DOI, but its commissioner would serve a 10-year term rather than at the pleasure of the sitting mayor and City Council.

Walden, a former federal prosecutor who also has long history of representing elected officials and other clients in cases involving Big Apple politics, is currently handling a lawsuit indirectly tied to federal bribery charges pending against Mayor Eric Adams.


  The new team would have “anti-corruption” officers.
 The new team would have “anti-corruption” officers.

The Brooklyn Heights resident attributed his desire to create the new department to “23 years of suing agencies and seeing corruption all over the place and then living through three-and-a-half years of a federal investigation into [former Mayor] Bill de Blasio and an indictment of Mayor Adams.”

Walden jumped in the race two months ago and is running as an apolitical independent, trying to take a page from former Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s playbook by seeking support from both the left and right.  

Although he lacks Bloomberg’s billions, he did jumpstart his campaign with a $500,000 personal loan.

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