18 U.S.C. § 227 — Wrongfully influencing a private entity’s employment decisions by a Member of Congress or an officer or employee of the legislative or executive branch

This section stops certain government officials from misusing their power to control who a private company hires or fires. (a) The rule. A "covered government person" cannot do this: use the intent to influence a private company's hiring or firing decision, based solely on someone's political party, by (1) taking away, giving, or threatening to take away or give an official government act, or (2) pressuring, or threatening to pressure, another official to take such an act. Breaking this rule is punished by a fine, up to 15 years in prison, or both, and the offender may also lose the right to hold any future federal office of honor, trust, or profit. (b) Who counts as a "covered government person." This term covers three groups: a Senator or Representative in Congress, or a Delegate or Resident Commissioner representing a territory in Congress; an employee of the House of Representatives or the Senate; and the President, the Vice President, an employee of the U.S. Postal Service or the Postal Regulatory Commission, or any other executive branch employee, using the definition of "employee" found in Title 5, Section 2105 of the U.S. Code.