Can white-collar crime investigators be protected from improper pressures? The case of Israel

In an attempt to discover how investigation of white-collar crime can be protected from improper influences, the Fraud Investigation Division of the Israel Police Force was studied. Despite the number of powerful persons investigated, the division was able to resist improper influences for a variety of reasons, including strong leadership, lateral entry, support from both administrative and political superiors, but most importantly the relative independence of the Attorney General (prosecutor) and of the judiciary from political influence. The Attorney General is not directly answerable to the public through election, nor are the judges, and the prosecutor has great control over investigations by the police. Possible lessons for the U.S. are discussed.