The Stop Corrupt Gratuities Act would make it a federal crime for state and local government officials to solicit or accept gifts and favors from people seeking to influence their official actions, as well as for individuals to offer such gratuities. The law would apply to transactions involving $5,000 or more and would carry penalties of up to two years in prison and fines. The bill targets corruption at the state and local level by closing what sponsors view as a gap in existing federal law that already prohibits bribes to federal officials. The legislation amends the federal criminal code to specifically address gratuities, which differ from bribes in that they may be given after official actions are taken rather than as explicit quid pro quo arrangements. This bill would bring state and local officials under the same ethical restrictions as their federal counterparts.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.