18 U.S.C. § 211 — Acceptance or solicitation to obtain appointive public office

submitted 78 years ago by ch. 645 to r/title-18-CRIMES-AND-CRIMINAL-PROCEDURE · 153 words · no verdicts yet

in plain englishAI-generated · not legal advice

This law bans selling influence over federal job appointments. You can't take money or gifts in exchange for promising to help someone get an appointed federal job. You also can't charge someone for referring them for federal work, or charge a fee just because they got hired. Violators face up to a year in prison. Employment agencies acting on a federal agency's written request are exempt.

This section makes it a crime to trade money or favors for influence over federal appointments. First, it's illegal to ask for or accept money or anything of value — whether as a political contribution or for personal gain — in exchange for promising to support someone, or use your influence, to help them get an appointive office or place under the United States. Second, it's illegal to ask for or accept anything of value in exchange for helping someone get employment under the United States — either by referring their name to a federal executive department or agency, or by requiring a fee because that person secured the job. Either violation can be punished with a fine or up to one year in prison, or both. This section does not apply to services an employment agency provides because a federal executive department or agency specifically asked for them, in writing.

the actual law source: uscode.house.gov ↗public domain

Whoever solicits or receives, either as a political contribution, or for personal emolument, any money or thing of value, in consideration of the promise of support or use of influence in obtaining for any person any appointive office or place under the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

Whoever solicits or receives any thing of value in consideration of aiding a person to obtain employment under the United States either by referring his name to an executive department or agency of the United States or by requiring the payment of a fee because such person has secured such employment shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned not more than one year, or both. This section shall not apply to such services rendered by an employment agency pursuant to the written request of an executive department or agency of the United States.

Source credit: (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 694, § 211, formerly § 215; Sept. 13, 1951, ch. 380, 65 Stat. 320; renumbered § 211, Pub. L. 87–849, § 1(b), Oct. 23, 1962, 76 Stat. 1125; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(H), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.)

history & why it existsrecord from the source credit

1948Enacted · Act of June 25, 1948, ch. 645 · 62 Stat. 694
1951Amended · Act of Sept. 13, 1951, ch. 380 · 65 Stat. 320
1962Amended · Pub. L. 87-849 · 76 Stat. 1125
1994Amended · Pub. L. 103-322 · 108 Stat. 2147

A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by ch. 645 on 1948-06-25.

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