Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Bribery - Federal Law - USC 18
United States Code Title 18 ^ | Congress

Posted on 12/20/2009 3:32:56 PM PST by djf

People keep asking "Isn't bribery illegal??", well, actually, it is. Sounds to me like half of Congress could end up in the slammer!!

USC Title 18, Ch 11, Sec 201...

(b) Whoever—

(1) directly or indirectly, corruptly gives, offers or promises anything of value to any public official or person who has been selected to be a public official, or offers or promises any public official or any person who has been selected to be a public official to give anything of value to any other person or entity, with intent—

(A) to influence any official act; or

(B) to influence such public official or person who has been selected to be a public official to commit or aid in committing, or collude in, or allow, any fraud, or make opportunity for the commission of any fraud, on the United States; or

(C) to induce such public official or such person who has been selected to be a public official to do or omit to do any act in violation of the lawful duty of such official or person;

shall be fined under this title or not more than three times the monetary equivalent of the thing of value, whichever is greater, or imprisoned for not more than fifteen years, or both, and may be disqualified from holding any office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States.

There you have it. That's the Federal law on the matter.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Government
KEYWORDS: benedictarnoldnelson; benedictnelson; bennelson; cornhuskerkickback; cornhuskerkickbacks; landrieu; nebraskawhore; nelson
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-37 next last

1 posted on 12/20/2009 3:32:57 PM PST by djf
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: djf

Sue them with class action


2 posted on 12/20/2009 3:34:20 PM PST by Ulysse (a)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ulysse

“Sue them with class action”

This may work in a representative republic that follows a constitutional set of laws, however, that isn’t the case here!


3 posted on 12/20/2009 3:37:44 PM PST by mark3681
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Ulysse

To hell with the lawyers. Send in the Federal Marshals!


4 posted on 12/20/2009 3:37:55 PM PST by djf (Invest now! Buy paper! Earn interest! That's more paper!! (A little soy sauce and you CAN eat it!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: djf
Where are you going to find a US Attorney with the cajones to pursue this remedy?
5 posted on 12/20/2009 3:37:56 PM PST by liberateUS
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: djf

As long as it takes place on the floor of Senate, very little can be done.

Read the Constitution.


6 posted on 12/20/2009 3:38:46 PM PST by Perdogg (Sarah Palin-Jim DeMint 2012 - Liz Cheney for Sec of State - Duncan Hunter SecDef)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: djf
Send in the Federal Marshals!

Maybe they are a little busy, picking up their bribes.

7 posted on 12/20/2009 3:40:29 PM PST by UCANSEE2 (<I>)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Ulysse

Over 200 years ago men of honor staked their families, properties and fortunes to make sure this country was free.

We now have many more people with fortunes whose only care is “Self”.


8 posted on 12/20/2009 3:40:55 PM PST by liberty or death
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: djf

While we’re at it, the federal government and all of the state governments violate anti-trust law with impunity. And why should the railroads and sports leagues get exceptions to anti-trust laws? A bill of attainder is unconstitutional. Either the law applies to everyone, or no one.


9 posted on 12/20/2009 3:41:24 PM PST by oblomov (I am against slavery simply because I dislike slaves. - H.L. Mencken)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: djf

See:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411848/posts

Mystery $100 million payoff buried in Senate health care bill
Health Care Bill - Manager’s Amendment ^ | 10/20/09 | Vanity

Posted on Sunday, December 20, 2009 1:39:59 PM by OldDeckHand


10 posted on 12/20/2009 3:41:33 PM PST by jessduntno ("The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: liberty or death

Sic semper res publica...


11 posted on 12/20/2009 3:42:29 PM PST by oblomov (I am against slavery simply because I dislike slaves. - H.L. Mencken)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: mark3681; Ulysse
We must first take over the government and then we can apply the law to them.

If history is a good guide in this we will have hanged the last politician only moments before the first politician of the new order asks to be bribed.

12 posted on 12/20/2009 3:44:14 PM PST by muawiyah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Perdogg

They are immune from arrest on the floor or going to or from an official session.

Seems to me if Congress adjourns for the holidays, they’re fair game.


13 posted on 12/20/2009 3:46:35 PM PST by djf (Invest now! Buy paper! Earn interest! That's more paper!! (A little soy sauce and you CAN eat it!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: muawiyah

“We must first take over the government and then we can apply the law to them.”

Problem #1.

More than half the electorate is on the dole. You first have to keep, at least, half of them from voting in order to get enough votes for the constitutional types that are running in office. Not sure how you would go about this.


14 posted on 12/20/2009 3:49:31 PM PST by mark3681
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: mark3681

Easy. Lie to them.


15 posted on 12/20/2009 4:05:01 PM PST by muawiyah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: djf

Doesn’t it depend what trhe meaning of the word “corruptly” is???


16 posted on 12/20/2009 4:07:56 PM PST by ChrisInAR ("You gotta let it out, Captain!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Perdogg

Besides, here is what the Annotated Constitution, 1992 version says about the privilege from arrest clause:

pp. 127
Privilege From Arrest
This clause is practically obsolete. It applies only to arrests in civil suits, which were still common in this country at the time the Constitution was adopted.376It does not apply to service of process in either civil377 or criminal cases.378Nor does it apply to arrest in any criminal case. The phrase ``treason, felony or breach of the peace’’ is interpreted to withdraw all criminal offenses from the operation of the privilege.379

The Annotated Constitution is a document authorized by congress, prepared by the Congressional Research Service, and contains analysis and interpretation of the Constitution based on statutory law and Supreme Court decisions. It is one of the most authoritative references there are for Constitutional law.


17 posted on 12/20/2009 4:14:51 PM PST by djf (Invest now! Buy paper! Earn interest! That's more paper!! (A little soy sauce and you CAN eat it!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: djf
If I sounded like I was being curt or rude, it was not intent when I said “read the Constitution". I don't think this constitutes criminal bribery.
18 posted on 12/20/2009 4:24:01 PM PST by Perdogg (Sarah Palin-Jim DeMint 2012 - Liz Cheney for Sec of State - Duncan Hunter SecDef)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: ChrisInAR

Maybe, but seems pretty corrupt to me.

If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, ain’t no turtle dove, it’s a duck!!


19 posted on 12/20/2009 4:24:27 PM PST by djf (Invest now! Buy paper! Earn interest! That's more paper!! (A little soy sauce and you CAN eat it!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: djf

So who has “standing” to sue? The judicial system is apparently deciding that citizens aren’t affected by the actions of their government and have no “standing”. So now what?


20 posted on 12/20/2009 4:30:22 PM PST by autumnraine (You can't fix stupid, but you can vote it out!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-37 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson