Kavanaugh said federal law “leaves it to state and local governments to regulate gratuities to state and local officials.”Justices Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented. About 20 million local and state officials are covered by the federal anti-corruption law, including officials at hospitals and universities that receive federal funds. The high court has long held that criminal laws restricting “illegal gratuities” to federal officials require proof that the gifts were given for a specific “official act,” not just because of the official’s position. Congress in 1986 extended the federal bribery law to cover officials of state of local agencies that receive federal funds. The city needed new garbage trucks, and the mayor took over the required public bidding.

Source: Los Angeles Times June 26, 2024 16:33 UTC