 In Dixson v. United States (1984), the Court held that, under the federal bribery and gratuity statute, the definition of a "public official" includes anyone in a "position of public trust with official federal responsibilities," including for example the employees of a non-profit that administers a federal block housing grant. The term "official act" is limited to acts which are performed within the scope of the official's employment. It is no defense that the official action was otherwise meritorious.
