Opinion ID: 324541
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Requested Instructions

Text: 56 At trial, Anderson's counsel requested, and the judge refused, two instructions which assertedly were essential to the jury's understanding of the theory of his defense. One would have told the jury that 57 (i)t is not corrupt in itself to influence or to attempt to influence a Senator or other legislator, nor is it corrupt in itself for a Senator to be influenced in respect to his actions, vote or decision on legislation. It is a part of the duty of every Senator to pay heed to and consider the views of all responsible parties on any matter of legislation before him. The other request would have said that 58 (a) lobbyist is a person who is paid for the purpose of attempting to influence the passage or defeat of legislation by the Congress of the United States. This is neither illegal nor improper. The only legal restriction on a lobbyist is that he or she must be properly registered with the Clerk of the House of Representatives or the Secretary of the Senate. In this case Mr. Anderson was so registered. 59 We think the judge properly rejected both. 60 We have no problem with the portion of the first request which spoke to the obligation of legislators to consider responsible views on pending legislation. But we cannot subscribe to an instruction indicating that influencing or attempting to influence a legislator in the performance of an official act cannot amount to bribery. A gift or promise of something of value with intent to exert such an influence is bribery; 124 the influencing is legally innocent only if unaccompanied by that factor. If Anderson's first request incorporated that qualification, it did so all too subtly, 125 and unless the qualification was clear the instruction asked for was misleading. 61 The second instruction Anderson sought suffers from a similar infirmity. While we do not quarrel with the accuracy as distinguished from the relevance of Anderson's general definition of a lobbyist, we encounter difficulty with the statement that '(t)he only legal restriction on a lobbyist is' proper registration. It may be that registration is the only precondition to lobbying, but a lobbyist is nonetheless under the same legal restrictions imposed by the bribery laws upon everybody else; in a word, that one who violates those laws is a lobbyist is no defense. Anderson's second request, like the first, could have misled the jury, and the trial judge rightly declined to give it. Certainly the profession of lobbying is honorable; just as surely influence devoid of unlawful means is innocuous, but Anderson's instructions implied much more. 62 We are advertent to the consideration that, as Anderson argues, an accused is entitled to instructions addressed to his theory of the case when properly requested and framed. 126 But here the function of the lobbyist was thoroughly ventilated before the jury by Anderson's testimony, and the instructions the trial judge gave the jury adequately explained the requirement of corrupt intent--the element toward which Anderson directed his main defense--even to the extent of exonerating campaign contributions inspired by the recipient's general position of support on particular legislation. In this fashion the jury was informed of Anderson's occupational and operational background, and the judge's instructions furnished the jury with sufficient guidance to enable the distinction of lawful contributions from bribes. These circumstances considered, Anderson is not in position to urge that the judge should have done more.