Title 28 — Judiciary and Judicial ProcedureRelease 119-73
§526 Authority of Attorney General to investigate United States attorneys, marshals, trustees, clerks of court, and others
Title 28 › Part PART II— - DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE › Chapter CHAPTER 31— - THE ATTORNEY GENERAL › § 526
Summary
The Attorney General can investigate the work and records of U.S. attorneys, marshals, and trustees (including bankruptcy trustees), and, if the Administrative Office director asks, court clerks and court officers; funds for examining judicial officers may be used for these investigations.
Full Legal Text
Title 28, §526
Judiciary and Judicial Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)The Attorney General may investigate the official acts, records, and accounts of—
(1)the United States attorneys, marshals, trustees, including trustees in cases under title 11; and
(2)at the request and on behalf of the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, the clerks of the United States courts and of the district court of the Virgin Islands, probation officers, United States magistrate judges, and court reporters;
(b)Appropriations for the examination of judicial officers are available for carrying out this section.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
DerivationU.S. CodeRevised Statutes andStatutes at Large 5 U.S.C. 341b.
July 28, 1950, ch. 503, § 4, 64 Stat. 380.
July 7, 1958, Pub. L. 85–508, § 12(q), 72 Stat. 349. In subsection (b), the words “now or hereafter” and “the provisions of” are omitted as unnecessary.
Editorial Notes
Codification Pub. L. 95–598, title IV, § 408(c), Nov. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 2687, as amended by Pub. L. 98–166, title II, § 200, Nov. 28, 1983, 97 Stat. 1081; Pub. L. 98–353, title III, § 323, July 10, 1984, 98 Stat. 358; Pub. L. 99–429, Sept. 30, 1986, 100 Stat. 985; Pub. L. 99–500, § 101(b) [title II, § 200], Oct. 18, 1986, 100 Stat. 1783–39, 1783–45, and Pub. L. 99–591, § 101(b) [title II, § 200], Oct. 30, 1986, 100 Stat. 3341–39, 3341–45; Pub. L. 99–554, title III, § 307(a), Oct. 27, 1986, 100 Stat. 3125, provided for the deletion of any references to United States Trustees in this title at a prospective date, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 99–554, title III, § 307(b), Oct. 27, 1986, 100 Stat. 3125.
Amendments
2002—Pub. L. 107–273, § 4003(b)(2)(A), struck out “and” before “trustees” in section catchline. Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 107–273, § 4003(b)(2)(B), substituted “marshals,” for “marshals,,”. 1986—Pub. L. 99–554, § 144(c)(1), substituted “trustees” for “trustee” in section catchline. Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 99–554, § 144(c)(2)(A), inserted reference to trustees in cases under title 11. Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 99–554, § 144(c)(2)(B), struck out references to courts of the Canal Zone and trustees in cases under title 11. 1978—Pub. L. 95–598, § 219(b), substituted “marshals, and trustee” for “and marshals” in section catchline. Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 95–518, § 219(a), substituted “marshals, and trustees” for “and marshals”. Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 95–598, § 220, substituted “officers, trustees in cases under title 11” for “officers, referees, trustees and receivers in bankruptcy” and “magistrates” for “commissioners”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Change of Name
“United States magistrate judges” substituted for “United States magistrates” in subsec. (a)(2) pursuant to section 321 of Pub. L. 101–650, set out as a note under section 631 of this title.
Effective Date
of 1986 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 99–554 effective 30 days after Oct. 27, 1986, see section 302(a) of Pub. L. 99–554, set out as a note under section 581 of this title.
Effective Date
of 1978 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 95–598 effective Oct. 1, 1979, see section 402(c) of Pub. L. 95–598, set out as an
Effective Date
note preceding section 101 of Title 11, Bankruptcy.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
28 U.S.C. § 526
Title 28 — Judiciary and Judicial Procedure
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73