Plain-English summary
Court limits federal bribery law: §666 reaches bribes for future or ongoing influence, not gratuities for past acts
In Snyder v. United States (No. 23-108), the Supreme Court reversed a Seventh Circuit conviction, holding that 18 U.S.C. §666 criminalizes corrupt payments intended to influence or reward official acts but does not reach gratuities given for past acts. The decision narrows the statute’s reach to payments tied to prospective or contemporaneous official action.
Why this matters
The decision limits federal criminal exposure for state and local officials by narrowing §666’s reach. Officials and donors now have clearer boundaries between unlawful bribes aimed at influencing official acts and lawful gifts or gratuities given for past actions. The ruling also affects how prosecutors must charge and prove corruption cases under this federal statute.
Who may feel it
- State and local elected officials and public employees
- People and businesses that give gifts, payments, or donations to government officials
- Prosecutors and defense lawyers handling public-corruption cases
- Citizens and watchdog groups concerned with government corruption
Key questions
- Does 18 U.S.C. §666 criminalize an official’s receipt of a gratuity given as thanks for a past official act, or does it reach only payments intended to influence or reward ongoing or future official action?