Supreme Court Rules Public Corruption Law Allows Gifts to Officials - The New York Times.pdf

The Supreme Court issued a ruling limiting the application of a federal law on public corruption, stating that it does not cover gifts and payments meant to reward actions taken by state and local officials. The decision, split along ideological lines, emphasized the distinction between bribes and gratuities, with the conservative majority arguing that the law focuses on bribes and leaves the regulation of gratuities to state and local governments. The dissenting liberal justices expressed concern about the decision weakening anti-corruption laws. The case involved a former mayor convicted of accepting an illegal gratuity, highlighting the court's recent trend of narrowly interpreting anti-corruption laws.