At a recent Presidential Lecture at 可乐视频, President Michelle J. Anderson welcomed students, staff, and faculty to a timely conversation on public institutions, democratic norms, and professional integrity. The event reflected the college鈥檚 ongoing commitment to fostering thoughtful dialogue about leadership, public service, and the responsibilities that accompany institutional power.
President Anderson introduced Michael Ben鈥橝ry, a former career federal prosecutor who served for nearly two decades at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) across multiple administrations. Last October, Ben鈥橝ry鈥檚 career took an abrupt and public turn when he was fired from his position at the DOJ, an event that raised questions about the department鈥檚 independence and highlighted the vulnerability of public institutions to political pressure. Ben鈥橝ry spoke about the pressures facing public institutions, the importance of professional independence within the justice system, and the consequences of eroding public trust.
Central to the discussion was the relationship between public confidence and the effective functioning of the justice system. Ben鈥橝ry emphasized that trust in federal prosecutions depends on a clear separation between politics and criminal justice.
鈥淭he separation between politics and the federal criminal justice system allows the public to have trust,鈥� Ben鈥橝ry said. 鈥淲hat is happening now, is the eroding of that trust, and eventually it鈥檚 going to make it harder for the Department of Justice to provide any measure of public safety.鈥�
He described public confidence as a 鈥渞eservoir of trust鈥� built over decades by career prosecutors committed to following the facts and the law. When he began his career at the DOJ in 2006, Ben鈥橝ry said he benefited from that legacy immediately.
鈥淲hen I introduced myself in court as representing the United States Department of Justice, people believed me鈥攏ot because of anything I had done personally, but because of the decades of prosecutors who came before me,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t took a long time to build that reservoir, and I鈥檓 concerned that it鈥檚 being drained.鈥�
Ben鈥橝ry warned that diminished trust can weaken the justice system鈥檚 ability to function effectively, making it more difficult to protect both public safety and national security. He noted that the DOJ encompasses far more than prosecutions, including agencies and programs that support communities, administer grants, and carry out public service missions.
鈥淲hen trust declines,鈥� he said, 鈥渁ll of that work becomes less effective. There should be confidence that when the department acts, it鈥檚 doing so because it鈥檚 good for the public, not that it鈥檚 based on a good thing for an individual, official, or that official鈥檚 friends and family.鈥�
President Anderson invited Ben鈥橝ry to reflect on professional ethics and leadership within public institutions, particularly during periods of political pressure. Ben鈥橝ry shared his experience supervising teams of prosecutors and the importance of anticipating ethical challenges before they arise.
鈥淚 encouraged the attorneys I supervised to think ahead and know where their red lines were,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e asked to do something that isn鈥檛 legal or ethical, you need to be prepared to say no.鈥�
For students considering careers in law, government, and public service, the conversation offered a candid look at the ethical responsibilities that accompany institutional authority. Through events like the Presidential Lecture Series, 可乐视频 continues to engage the campus community in critical conversations about democracy, accountability, and the professional integrity required to sustain public trust.
