18 U.S.C. § 201 : US Code - Section 201: Bribery of public officials and witnesses

Search 18 U.S.C. § 201 : US Code - Section 201: Bribery of public officials and witnesses

(a) For the purpose of this section -
(1) the term "public official" means Member of Congress,
Delegate, or Resident Commissioner, either before or after such
official has qualified, or an officer or employee or person
acting for or on behalf of the United States, or any department,
agency or branch of Government thereof, including the District of
Columbia, in any official function, under or by authority of any
such department, agency, or branch of Government, or a juror;
(2) the term "person who has been selected to be a public
official" means any person who has been nominated or appointed to
be a public official, or has been officially informed that such
person will be so nominated or appointed; and
(3) the term "official act" means any decision or action on any
question, matter, cause, suit, proceeding or controversy, which
may at any time be pending, or which may by law be brought before
any public official, in such official's official capacity, or in
such official's place of trust or profit.
(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;
(2) being a public official or person selected to be a public
official, directly or indirectly, corruptly demands, seeks,
receives, accepts, or agrees to receive or accept anything of
value personally or for any other person or entity, in return
for:
(A) being influenced in the performance of any official act;
(B) being influenced to commit or aid in committing, or to
collude in, or allow, any fraud, or make opportunity for the
commission of any fraud, on the United States; or
(C) being induced to do or omit to do any act in violation of
the official duty of such official or person;
(3) directly or indirectly, corruptly gives, offers, or
promises anything of value to any person, or offers or promises
such person to give anything of value to any other person or
entity, with intent to influence the testimony under oath or
affirmation of such first-mentioned person as a witness upon a
trial, hearing, or other proceeding, before any court, any
committee of either House or both Houses of Congress, or any
agency, commission, or officer authorized by the laws of the
United States to hear evidence or take testimony, or with intent
to influence such person to absent himself therefrom;
(4) directly or indirectly, corruptly demands, seeks, receives,
accepts, or agrees to receive or accept anything of value
personally or for any other person or entity in return for being
influenced in testimony under oath or affirmation as a witness
upon any such trial, hearing, or other proceeding, or in return
for absenting himself therefrom;
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.
(c) Whoever -
(1) otherwise than as provided by law for the proper discharge
of official duty -
(A) directly or indirectly gives, offers, or promises
anything of value to any public official, former public
official, or person selected to be a public official, for or
because of any official act performed or to be performed by
such public official, former public official, or person
selected to be a public official; or
(B) being a public official, former public official, or
person selected to be a public official, otherwise than as
provided by law for the proper discharge of official duty,
directly or indirectly demands, seeks, receives, accepts, or
agrees to receive or accept anything of value personally for or
because of any official act performed or to be performed by
such official or person;
(2) directly or indirectly, gives, offers, or promises anything
of value to any person, for or because of the testimony under
oath or affirmation given or to be given by such person as a
witness upon a trial, hearing, or other proceeding, before any
court, any committee of either House or both Houses of Congress,
or any agency, commission, or officer authorized by the laws of
the United States to hear evidence or take testimony, or for or
because of such person's absence therefrom;
(3) directly or indirectly, demands, seeks, receives, accepts,
or agrees to receive or accept anything of value personally for
or because of the testimony under oath or affirmation given or to
be given by such person as a witness upon any such trial,
hearing, or other proceeding, or for or because of such person's
absence therefrom;
shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for not more than
two years, or both.
(d) Paragraphs (3) and (4) of subsection (b) and paragraphs (2)
and (3) of subsection (c) shall not be construed to prohibit the
payment or receipt of witness fees provided by law, or the payment,
by the party upon whose behalf a witness is called and receipt by a
witness, of the reasonable cost of travel and subsistence incurred
and the reasonable value of time lost in attendance at any such
trial, hearing, or proceeding, or in the case of expert witnesses,
a reasonable fee for time spent in the preparation of such opinion,
and in appearing and testifying.
(e) The offenses and penalties prescribed in this section are
separate from and in addition to those prescribed in sections 1503,
1504, and 1505 of this title.