When Is An "Investigation" Not Just An Investigation? At Election Time, When The Existence Of One Becomes Explosive Negative Mud

When candidates for political office attack opponents who are "under investigation" does the mud stick and translate into votes? Does the average citizen understand what little it can mean when prosecutors "investigate" persons or entities, and why investigations should never be leaked?

My Tuesday, Oct. 31st OpEd column in the Philadelphia Daily News takes a serious look at what it means to be "investigated," how political campaigns transmogrify the existence of investigations into crimes against humanity and how lots of investigations really get started. Hint: It's not always the FBI that breaks the case.