On February 9, 2024, WLF filed an amicus brief in an important case about the reach of federal criminal laws. The Seventh Circuit held that gratuities are covered by the federal statute barring bribery of state and local officials. As WLF’s brief shows, this holding was wrong for at least three reasons. First, it is atextual. The text of Section 666 only criminalizes bribery. Second, it conflicts with recent Supreme Court precedent limiting the scope of similar federal criminal statutes. Third, the practical consequences of the Seventh Circuit’s rule are absurd. It would criminalize giving an apple to a public-school teacher. The brief was prepared with the pro bono assistance of Christopher D. Man and Abbe David Lowell of Winston & Strawn LLP.
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