Eastern District of Michigan U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade has launched an “internal inquiry” to find out who is leaking information to the news media about a federal investigation of public corruption in the Detroit City Council.

Barbara McQuade (DOJ)

McQuade said she won’t stand for leaks by federal officials or criminal defendants, according ^[1] to The Associated Press. But the U.S. Attorney said she can’t prevent witnesses from speaking to the press.

“Investigations are kept confidential for a number of important reasons, including protecting the integrity of the investigation, protecting the safety of witnesses and protecting targets of investigation from public suspicion when no charges have been filed,” McQuade said ^[2] in a statement, according to The Detroit News. She also called on other federal agencies such as the FBI to also conduct internal inquiries on the leaks.

Former Detroit Councilwoman Monica Conyers, the wife of House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.), was sentenced ^[3] to three years and one month in prison last month as part of the public corruption probe. Nine others have pleaded guilty to corruption charges.