Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/23pdf/23-108_8n5a.pdf
Page Number: 11.0

Cite as:  603 U. S. ____ (2024) 

7 

Opinion of the Court 

II 
A 
The  question  in  this  case  is  whether  18  U. S. C. 
§666(a)(1)(B)  makes  it  a  federal  crime  for  state  and  local
officials to accept gratuities for their past official acts.  The 
answer  is  no.  Six  reasons,  taken  together,  lead  us  to 
conclude that §666 is a bribery statute and not a gratuities 
statute—text,  statutory  history,  statutory  structure, 
statutory punishments, federalism, and fair notice.   

First is the text of §666.  Section 666(a)(1)(B) makes it a 
crime  for  state  and  local  officials  to  “corruptly”  accept  a 
payment  “intending  to  be  influenced  or  rewarded”  for  an 
official act.1  Congress modeled the text of §666(a)(1)(B) for 
state and local officials on §201(b), the bribery provision for 
federal officials.  Section 201(b) similarly makes it a crime 
for  federal  officials  to  “corruptly”  accept  a  payment  “in 
return  for”  “being  influenced”  in  an  official  act.2    By  
contrast,  §666  bears  little  resemblance  to  §201(c),  the 
—————— 
1 Section 666(a)(1)(B) provides: 

“Whoever . . . being an agent of an organization, or of a State, local, or
Indian tribal government, or any agency thereof [that receives more than 
$10,000 in federal funds annually] corruptly solicits or demands for the 
benefit of any person, or accepts or agrees to accept, anything of value 
from any person, intending to be influenced or rewarded in connection 
with  any  business,  transaction,  or  series  of  transactions  of  such 
organization,  government,  or  agency  involving  any  thing  of  value  of 
$5,000 or more; . . . shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more 
than 10 years, or both.” 
2 Section 201(b)(2)(A) provides: 

“Whoever . . . being a public official or person selected to be a public 
official,  directly  or  indirectly,  corruptly  demands,  seeks,  receives, 
accepts, or agrees to receive or accept anything of value personally or for
any  other  person  or  entity,  in  return  for:  being  influenced  in  the 
performance of any official act; . . . shall be fined under this title or not 
more  than  three  times  the  monetary  equivalent  of  the  thing  of  value,
whichever is greater, or imprisoned for not more than fifteen years, or
both, and may be disqualified from holding any office of honor, trust, or 
profit under the United States.”