Opinion ID: 3158584
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Honest Services Fraud Instructions

Text: Denault’s challenge to the district court’s instructions for the honest services fraud charges is also unpersuasive. The Government stated in its rebuttal summation that a quid pro quo exists when a person “takes any favorable action or provides any benefit to the payor . . . in exchange for the payments.” Trial Tr. 5250:14-17. Denault argues that a supplemental instruction was needed to correct the Government’s “erroneous implication that an action taken in furtherance of undisclosed self-dealing constitutes the requisite quid pro quo under the honest services fraud statute.” Denault Br. 76. We do not accept the premise of Denault’s argument, that is, that the Government made any improper suggestion. The Government was correct that the defining feature of a quid pro quo is the existence of an “exchange.” See United States v. Bahel, 662 F.3d 610, 635 (2d Cir. 2011).