A little-noticed bill pending before the Senate Judiciary Committee would give federal officials significantly more money, resources, and power to crack down on public corruption, Eliza Newlin Carney writes in her "Rules of the Game" column.

Authored by Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, the Public Corruption Prosecution Improvements Act would boost funding for federal public corruption investigations by $100 million over four years. It would also make it easier for Justice Department and other investigators to prosecute federal gratuities violations. A Judiciary Committee markup is scheduled for Thursday.

The bill aims to clarify legal ambiguities that have arisen regarding corruption cases involving public officials and made it harder for the government to prosecute former Rep. William Jefferson, D-La. and others.