Courtney Milan: They use the word "commonplace gratuities" in the opinion and I'm so baffled. It's not commonplace at all to give a gratuity to a GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL who used THE POWER OF THE GOVERNMENT to enrich you. Or at least, it wasn't until now.

really feel like Alito & Thomas shoulda recused on this one

The final SCOTUS decision today is Snyder v. US. Kavanaugh has the court's 6-3 decision on ideological grounds, holding that the Section 666 bribery statute does not apply to "gratuities" given for public officials' *past* acts. Jackson writes the liberals' dissent.

They use the word "commonplace gratuities" in the opinion and I'm so baffled. It's not commonplace at all to give a gratuity to a GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL who used THE POWER OF THE GOVERNMENT to enrich you. Or at least, it wasn't until now.

like "commonplace gratuity" here means "literally walking into the dealership you got a cool million and saying 'I need money' and then they give it to you." The fuck!

I think it’s important for everyone interested in this case to read how the payment came to be

"As long as you don't ask them for money BEFORE and just shake them down AFTER it's all good"

So let's talk about the text of the statute and this situation. I'm gonna take the irrelevant parts out & break this statutory text up into parts so you can see each of the elements of the offense.

* Whoever ... being an agent of a ... local ... government ... * corruptly demands ... anything of value * intending to be influenced or rewarded in connection with any business ... of such ... government * involving any thing of value of $5000 or more shall be [punished]

So let's look at the items here. * agent of government: check * corruptly demands $15K : check * thing > $5000 or more : check

So the question, then, as a strict statutory interpretation, is, did this dude intend to be rewarded in connection with government business that he controlled?

Wait, so the logic is "its not a bribe if they do the thing you're bribing them to do before you pay them"? WOW.

Would like to discuss with *my* employer paying me in advance for my work, because currently my paycheck comes about a week after the pay period ends--

The gratuity will now be as expected in government as it is at a restaurant.

I would love to have $13,000 for doing nothing (which is what they're saying happened) just handed to me by walking into a dealership and asking for it

I'm sure the Supes assume that everyone outside them in government is paid below minimum wage so they need to work for tips

The commonplace word for this is 'kickbacks' in fact

I used to work for a government contractor. Accepting a cuppf coffee was problematic. Not talking Starbucks, but the coffee maker in a customer's office. But hey, if someone is making the laws, then bring on the gifts!

....whaaaaat? When the government comes to audit the company I work for, we can't even comp their parking because ethics!

The term "commonplace gratuities" implies the existence of "extraordinary gratuities", and I would like to hear more about those, perhaps with a list of names and amounts.

Yes, we're just "tipping" the elected politician who made us millions of dollars. No different than when you tear a fifty in half and tell the waiter he can earn the other half by being really obsequious.

Or, at least, it’s how the court would like to function in the future

Even if it is I'd like to cite the case of Popular v. Right please.

Maybe they mean back when the government officials were waiters in college.

Look, I'm not going to bribe you, okay? That would be illegal. If, however, you *just so happen* to do the thing my lobby is asking for, then, after the fact, I will be very grateful and will send you a gratuity. Which is perfectly legal and in no way a bribe.

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