The Supreme Court has overturned the bribery conviction of a former Indiana mayor, the latest in a series of decisions narrowing the scope of federal public corruption law.

The high court’s 6-3 opinion along ideological lines found the law criminalizes bribes given before an official act, not rewards handed out after.

Eg: it’s ok to give Supreme Court Justices money after they rule in your favor because it’s normal and ok to regularly hand them amounts much larger than their salary. The Democrats on the court were the dissenters.

  • partial_accumen@lemmy.world
    46·
    5 months ago

    Justices that ruled that bribery as “gratuity” is legal:

    • John G. Roberts, Jr., Chief Justice of the United States
    • Clarence Thomas, Associate Justice
    • Samuel A. Alito, Jr., Associate Justice
    • Neil M. Gorsuch, Associate Justice
    • Brett M. Kavanaugh, Associate Justice
    • Amy Coney Barrett, Associate Justice

    Justices that ruled that bribery is illegal:

    • Justices Elena Kagan, Associate Justice
    • Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice
    • Ketanji Brown Jackson, Associate Justice