Jennifer Esteban
Americans disagree on many things — taxes, immigration, healthcare, foreign policy, and almost every major issue in public life. But one question increasingly cuts across ideological lines: when will those in power who commit crimes actually face consequences?
Trust in American institutions is collapsing. People do not trust the government to tell the truth. They do not trust Congress to act in the public interest. They do not trust agencies to police themselves. They do not trust that the same standards applied to the rest of us are being applied to them.
America does not only have a corruption problem. It has an accountability problem.
The purpose of law is not simply to control the people to keep a safer and smoother-running society. Law also exists to control the government. It is supposed to create a clear, unbiased standard for how power relates to citizens. It tells the government where its authority begins, where it ends, and what process must be followed before power can be used against the people.
Take the Fourth Amendment. It does not say that people should not commit crimes. It tells the government what it is and is not allowed to do when it suspects someone of a crime. Law enforcement cannot simply decide it wants access to your home, your property, your records, or your life because it feels suspicious of you. The government has to meet a standard. It has to justify its power. It has to follow a process.
But what happens when the people who are supposed to write, enforce, and uphold the laws are also the ones violating public trust?
We see it everywhere. Take for example the Hunter Biden laptop story being censored from the internet during an election, the $100 million Palisades fire fund never making it to a single victim, the Epstein files that we were promised showing up as pages colored in black sharpie, major fraud scandals in Minnesota, and special interests helping shape the very laws they profit from.
We have laws, but the enforcement mechanism is failing. That is why Americans see fraud, corruption, censorship, cover-ups, insider dealing, and special interests co-creating laws for their benefit at our cost — and then nothing happens.
Every time, the public gets the same routine. One side says it is a scandal. The other side says it is a political attack. Then after a week, there is a new crisis, and everyone forgets about the last one.
Americans have political fatigue.
At least more Americans are realizing that this two-party-controlled system is doing exactly what it was built to do: concentrate power, build walls, and create rules that make it harder for anyone else to get in and disrupt the status quo.
But more of us need to take this perspective. If our only response to corruption is to point at someone else’s corruption, then we are not defending justice. We are defending teams — teams that do not work for us and do not represent us.
And the people in power know it.
They know that if they can keep voters angry enough at the other side and loyal enough to defend their own, they can get away with just about anything. If an investigation begins, or is even threatened to begin, they call it weaponization. If documents are requested, they call it harassment. If wrongdoing is exposed, they call it misinformation, a distraction, or a political stunt.
And as long as their voters repeat the talking points, the pressure for real accountability disappears, which is exactly why we need consistent standards.
Trust is not restored through speeches, slogans, hearings, or campaign promises. Trust is earned through accountability. And accountability means consequences that apply equally regardless of party, power, position, money, status, or usefulness to a political agenda.
That is where Americans may still have common ground. We may disagree on a lot of hot topics, but most of us know something is deeply wrong when public trust is violated and no one is held responsible.
If you agree, we want to send a message and show how many people believe we need equal accountability. Sign this petition to enforce real accountability and consequences for those in power
And if you are tired of being told that our only choices are red team or blue team, we invite you to come to the Independent National Convention, September 23rd through 25th in Washington, D.C. We are bringing together leaders from across party lines who agree It’s time to forge a new path forward, together. If you want to hear real solutions, new perspectives, and how we can lead this country in a better direction, get yourself a ticket at independentnationalconvention.com.
Jennifer Esteban is the President and co-founder of United Independents and Executive Director of the Independent National Convention, where she helps lead a growing movement to strengthen independent political leadership, expand civic participation, and build a more representative and accountable American democracy.