The PII Blog

Seminary Professor Investigated for Polygamy

Seminary Professor Investigated for Polygamy

A leading seminary offering master’s and doctoral degrees in theology, psychology, and ministry retained Public Interest Investigations to investigate alleged sexual misconduct by an assistant professor at the school. Local ministers in an “accountability group” with the professor, who also is a pastor, had alerted the Seminary that he had admitted to secretly practicing polygamy…
Conversations with investigators

Conversations with Investigators

Conversations with Investigators is a blog hosted on Substack summarizing conversations with investigators of all types – workplace, campus, law enforcement, journalists, mental health professionals, engineers, Navy JAG officers, scientific researchers, philosophers, art critics, and more.  The Conversations, presented in an interview format, cover investigators’ insights, fears, victories, challenges, motivators, genesis to entering the field,…
Interviewing About Trauma: Challenges and Techniques

Interviewing About Trauma: Challenges & Techniques

Maintaining one’s composure throughout an interview may be the biggest challenge for investigators. This is particularly true when the interviewee talks about suffered or perceived trauma. Trauma: An experience that exceeds one’s ability to cope, such as a threat to life, bodily integrity, or sanity. Fortunately, investigators in our field have developed and shared techniques for…

Validating (or not) Financial Fraud

What do these situations have in common? Cash flow improves when a company’s long-time controller is away on a 4-week dream vacation. A busy restaurant’s cash receipts don’t match up with cash on hand. Soon after a defense contractor is sold, it loses valuable contracts after former employees misuse proprietary corporate information and trade secrets…
PII Trains POST Investigators

PII Trains California POST Investigators

Law enforcement agencies, like all employers, encounter allegations of employee misconduct requiring neutral investigations. Unlike at corporate employers, law enforcement agency investigations are closely scrutinized by government regulators, increasing the onus on investigators to deliver comprehensive, accurate reports. Each state in the nation has unique standards and structures for peace officer training, certification, licensure, and…