How is public corruption committed?

Public corruption is a white collar crime committed when an individual in a position of public trust abuses their power for personal gain. In Washington, there are many ways an individual can commit public corruption, including bribery, extortion, fraud, and misuse of public funds. Bribery involves offering an individual in a position of public trust something of value in exchange for a favor or advantage granted. Extortion is the practice of obtaining something of value through the use of threats or coercion. Fraud occurs when an individual misuses or embezzles public funds or misrepresents facts or information to gain an unfair advantage. Misuse of public funds occurs when an individual in a position of public trust uses public funds for their own benefit. This could mean using public funds to pay for personal expenses, making improper payments, or giving contracts to those who are not properly qualified. Public corruption also includes a variety of other activities such as insider trading, bid rigging, cronyism and nepotism. Insider trading involes using confidential information to buy or sell stocks to gain an unfair advantage. Bid rigging is when individuals collude to manipulate the outcome of a public bid process in order to gain an unfair advantage. Cronyism and nepotism involve giving favors to people who are close to the individual in a position of public trust, such as friends and family, instead of those who are most qualified for a position. Public corruption is a serious crime in Washington and those found guilty of this type of crime could face jail time and hefty fines. As such, individuals in a position of public trust must be aware of their responsibilities and adhere to the laws of the state in order to avoid committing public corruption.

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