# DC Tops the Rankings for Public Corruption — Cato Analysis 

July 16, 2025 • News Releases 

I wanted to pass along [a new piece](https://url.avanan.click/v2/r01/___https://zwly9k6z.r.us-east-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F%2Fwww.cato.org*2Fblog*2Fwhere-public-corruption-highest/1/010001981398ad4f-1a25fcfe-3e4c-4e87-8c7d-085a84a22488-000000/Ow48fpCtJx3PczSBNMsbZWDjOJs=435___.YXAzOmNhdG9pbnN0aXR1dGU6YTpvOjhiNTNkMTkwMzI3MTEzYzlmNDczMTc1ODJiMWY2NmZjOjc6OTQ3ODpjYjk4NjBkZmNjYzNkNTJhZmQyNGQ1ODg0MjZiZGZlM2EwZWEzMjIwYjk1MzlhNTRkNjZhNjlhM2QxODIyMDI2Omg6VDpO) titled **“Where Is Public Corruption the Highest?”** by Cato Institute Kilts Family Chair in Fiscal Studies [Chris Edwards](https://url.avanan.click/v2/r01/___https://zwly9k6z.r.us-east-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F%2Fwww.cato.org*2Fpeople*2Fchris-edwards/1/010001981398ad4f-1a25fcfe-3e4c-4e87-8c7d-085a84a22488-000000/9ydrPHsXt-K-BLJfjTUdycigXG0=435___.YXAzOmNhdG9pbnN0aXR1dGU6YTpvOjhiNTNkMTkwMzI3MTEzYzlmNDczMTc1ODJiMWY2NmZjOjc6ZDAxZTo2YTc0YzNiNjNiMzA0ZDAxNTUyOTU2ZDc0YWZhMjk5YjhkM2JlNmZlNWRlYmZlOGI0MTFlYjc2ZGJhMzU3NTczOmg6VDpO) and Research Associate Yasmeen Kallash-Kyler.

The authors explore [US Department of Justice (DOJ) data](https://url.avanan.click/v2/r01/___https://zwly9k6z.r.us-east-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F%2Fwww.justice.gov*2Fcriminal*2Fcriminal-pin*2Fannual-reports/1/010001981398ad4f-1a25fcfe-3e4c-4e87-8c7d-085a84a22488-000000/SU_xr56Grqa6rgkLMrarDBVlDZw=435___.YXAzOmNhdG9pbnN0aXR1dGU6YTpvOjhiNTNkMTkwMzI3MTEzYzlmNDczMTc1ODJiMWY2NmZjOjc6OTJiNTo4NGZjMmFjYzBlZDBkYzY0Y2MyODhkZjg0ZWYxZTUwNjcwYTVmYjI2NzVkNGM2OWViNzVlMDNmM2IxZjg2MzMwOmg6VDpO) on public corruption convictions in the nation’s 94 federal judicial districts. The data show that some of the most corrupt places by this measure match their reputations — **DC tops the rankings**.

“It has a huge number of legislative and executive branch federal employees, and there are many opportunities for graft,” the authors write.

If you would like to speak with Edwards, please contact [pr@​cato.​org](mailto:pr@cato.org) to set up an interview.

[![Creative Commons License](/build/cato_2020/images/creative-commons.svg)](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) 
This work is licensed under a [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).