How many indictments in this administration vs Clinton's?

[CC]

I see another Bush aide has quit under questionable circumstances - an arrest for allegedly stealing merchandise. For an administration that was going to restore ethics to D.C. it seems as if there have been quite a few stumbles. How would one go about comparing ethical blunders from one administration to another? Informal judgements are certainly too subjective. What about indictments? Or arrests? Are those records available? How does the present administration (cabinet, top aides, majority party in office in both houses) compare with the last one at this stage? Any data to work with?

[Walloon]

Not exactly for stealing merchandise. As The New York Times reports,

The police accused Mr. Allen of going to stores on more than 25 occasions and buying items, taking them to his car and then returning to the store with his receipt. He would then pick up the same items he had just bought and return them for a refund, the police said.

It just seems so . . . low rent. A top administratin policy advisor, the man made $161,000 a year. And he’s out grifting his career away at the return counter at Target.

How about cabinet members stealing waiters’ tips?

[CC]

He was charged with theft.

[samclem]

For now this one can stay in General Questions. If posters can try to give factual responses and leave out the editorializing, I’d appreciate it. I know it’s hard, but stifle yourselves.

[this is not a reflection on any post so far]

samclem

[Walloon]

Theft of money, not merchandise. The merchandise he was “returning” never left the store.

[Kimstu]

Here’s an alleged “History of White House staff indictments”, but it seems only to have a few highlights (lowlights?) from various recent administrations, not complete scorecards.

A Cato Institute review of a related book on governmental ethics regulations by Calvin Mackenzie says:

He collects data about indictments and convictions of federal officials from 1970-1999 as a way to measure the integrity of executive branch officials. He notices that both have risen but concludes that the increase reflects a change in reporting the data (p.104). If we take that change into account, however, the data could be interesting for other. After the change in reporting in 1983, indictments of federal official rose steadily and peaked in 1992 when they began to decline until 1999. Indictments and convictions rose during Republican administrations and fell during the Clinton era. Perhaps federal officials appointed by Republicans are more corrupt than their counterparts in the Clinton administration. An alternative conjecture is that the merit system employees in the Public Integrity section of the Department of Justice are committed liberal Democrats who try harder to indict and convict Republican officials.

[CC]

Ok, but what about some current measure? Are there data? Is there some way to track the general level of formally charged criminality in this administration as compared with the previous one up to this point?