JURISDICTION
The legitimacy of an accountability institution depends as much on what it is forbidden to investigate as on what it is authorized to investigate.
Defined federal misconduct, corruption, unlawful obstruction, misuse of public authority, serious conflicts of interest, concealment, evidence destruction, misuse of federal funds, and other subjects expressly assigned by law or constitutional text.
Ordinary private life, protected disagreement, lawful advocacy, religion, ideology, speech and association do not become investigative predicates merely because officials or citizens dislike them.
The branch does not become a national police force for state and local government. Federal jurisdiction must arise from federal funds, federal actors, federal law, interstate conduct, a constitutional assignment, or another specifically enacted nexus.
CIB may preserve and investigate evidence within its jurisdiction and refer potential crimes to the appropriate prosecutorial authority. Charging, prosecution, trial and sentencing remain with the constitutional actors that already perform those functions.
CIB may investigate people; it may not surveil populations.
A subject should be able to challenge whether the Bureau has crossed its legal boundary. Intrusive powers should require a record showing jurisdiction, relevance, necessity and proportionality.