The phrase "branch officials" refers to people in charge or in positions of authority within a specific branch or department of an organization or government. Full definition
And in areas in which the federal government lacked either the license or capacity to shape local policy directly, executive branch officials used federally sponsored litigation as a tool to advance reform. (gse.harvard.edu)
The people elected executive and legislative branch officials at local and federal levels. (voices.washingtonpost.com)
As we reflect on these realities, it is valuable to appreciate that executive branch officials make policy judgments at sentencing all the time. (sentencing.typepad.com)