I think most of the corruption tends to concentrate at the top through a deliberate process of distillation, whereby the corrupt SES's control 100% the promotion into their ranks, and can deep select only those corrupt sycophants who will "play ball their way".
This has led to great demoralization among the critical middle grades, who get out in droves, leaving the FBI composed of "fast track" butt boys, corrupt seniors, disillusioned middle grades, and inexperienced gung ho new guys.
Are you familiar with the FBI's "Senior Executive Service", the "Super supergrades"? This clique and it's inner politics is a crucial part of my novel, as a passed over and locked out Deputy Asst Director comes up with his own plan to promote his own unit and himself in an effort to bypass his promotion lockout by the SES. He initiates a series of false flag acts of "domestic terrorism" blamed on "right wing militias" for which he holds "the antidote" in the form of his own experimental ATF SRT unit. I have posted two chapter excerpts, "The Raid" and "The Checkpoint". Perhaps you can help me later on in vetting the SES jargon, terminolgy and structure.
There was another FBI scandal in South Florida recently where a drunk off duty FBI agent was driving the wrong way on I-95 and killed two brothers in a crash and then the FBI tried to cover it up and blame the crash on the two dead brothers,and when the FL. Highway Patrol (FHP) went to question the FBI agent in the hospital the FBI posted an agent outside his door and wouldn't let the FHP talk to him.
Eventually the FHP figured out what really happened and FL. Gov. Bush made the FHP apologize to the family of the dead brothers, but to this day the FBI has never offered an apology to the family.
Basically what you are saying is true,corruption at the FBI or DOJ is simply a career opportunity.
At the FBI the more corrupt you are,the more rapid your promotion, because the politicians know that they can depend on you to conceal,promote,and facilitate any type of criminal activity that they (politicians and/or lawyers)and their cronies in the private sector want to engage in.
The most politically powerful and corrupt are the U.S. Attorneys, far more powerful than any FBI agent.
Control the U.S. Attorneys and you control who gets prosecuted for federal felony offenses.
This is what the former U.S. Attorney for Maryland, Lynne Battaglia was clearly up to.
The FBI agents know what this is all about,if you don't like the corruption at the FBI you have two simple options, shut up or quit.
I'm not up to speed on the FBI employees that you mention "the Senior Executive Service".
My dealings have been mostly with SAC & SA.
I started dealing with the FBI as far back as mid to late 1994 and here it is 2002 and it really doesn't surprise me that the FBI Anti-terrorist unit and the FBI Public Corruption Units are absolute failures.