How is public corruption committed?

Public corruption occurs when a public official, elected or appointed, intentionally uses their government authority to receive or attempt to receive something of value for themselves, their family or friends, or for any other organization or individual in exchange for favorable treatment in a government decision or transaction. This is illegal and can take many different forms. In Virginia, public corruption can take the form of a public official or employee accepting bribes or kickbacks for performing activities in their official capacity. This could be a government employee taking bribes to grant a contract to a specific vendor or accepting payments from a contractor to cover costs of labor or materials that were never actually provided. Public corruption can also involve a public official using their influence to achieve a personal gain or to help another person or organization benefit. This can include government employees using their power to award jobs to family members or award contracts to friends or political allies. It could also be a public official using confidential information to make their own investments or to pass on the information to others. Public officials can also commit public corruption by accepting gifts or money for performing a job-related service. For example, a public official could accept a free trip to Europe from a lobbyist in exchange for giving the lobbyist favoritism when awarding contracts. This is another form of public corruption and is illegal in Virginia.

Related FAQs

How is organized crime related to white collar crime?
What are the penalties for securities fraud?
How is a criminal court different from a civil court?
How is a civil lawsuit related to a white collar crime?
How is computer fraud committed?
How do prosecutors prove the intent element of a white collar crime?
How is bribery committed?
What are the penalties for corruption of public office?
How can an accused person defend himself or herself against charges of white collar crime?
How do asset protection strategies help defend against white collar crime allegations?

How is public corruption committed?

Related FAQs

Related Blog Posts