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Supreme Court Rules Post-Act Payments Are Not Bribes

By Drooid · Oct 14, 2026, 12:29 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

SCOTUS Rules Payments Gratuities

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled post-act payments are gratuities, not bribes, under Section 666.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh authored the opinion for six justices in the June 2024 decision.
The Court held a bribe must occur before an official act to influence that act.
In McDonnell v. United States (2016), the Court reversed a conviction, saying arranging meetings and events are not official acts.

Summary

Hamilton Warns Corruption

The Constitutional Convention debated corruption over fifty times, showing founders’ deep concern.
On June 23 1787, George Mason warned that without anti-corruption safeguards government would collapse.
Alexander Hamilton’s Federalist No. 68 called cabal, intrigue and corruption the deadliest threats to republican government.
In Federalist No. 22, Hamilton warned republics easily become inlets for foreign corruption.
Blackstone’s Commentaries defined bribery as an undue reward intended to influence a judge, without requiring an explicit bargain.

History

Historical Context

After the Watergate scandal, Congress enacted the Ethics in Government Act of 1978, creating the Office of Government Ethics and post-employment lobbying restrictions for former officials; the OGE logged about 1,200 violations in its first decade. In June 2024, Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court opinion re-characterized post-act payments as gratuities, prompting agencies to tighten conflict-of-interest rules.

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SCOTUS Rules Payments Gratuities

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled post-act payments are gratuities, not bribes, under Section 666.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh authored the opinion for six justices in the June 2024 decision.
The Court held a bribe must occur before an official act to influence that act.
In McDonnell v. United States (2016), the Court reversed a conviction, saying arranging meetings and events are not official acts.

1 / 3