Commercial bribery: Difference between revisions

{{globalize|article|United States|date=May 2020}}'''Commercial bribery''' is a form of [[bribery]] which involves corrupt dealing with the agents or employees of potential buyers to secure an advantage over business competitors.<ref>[[Black's Law Dictionary]] 7th. ed. 1999, p. 187</ref> It is a form of [[corruption]] which does not necessarily involve government personnel or facilities.

There is no [[United States Code|federal statute]] that by its terms expressly prohibits commercial bribery generally though it is mentioned as part of the definition of [[aggravated felony]] for the purposes of [[List of United States immigration laws|US immigration law]] and is prohibited to induce sales of alcoholic beverages through commercial bribery. <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ttb.gov/trade_practices/commercial_bribery.shtml|title=Federal Alcohol Administration Act provision 27 U.S. Code § 205}}</ref><ref>{{usc|8|1101}}(a)(43)</ref> It is usually punishable as a [[felony]] under [[State law (United States)|state law]], depending on circumstances, but only 36 states have laws specifically prohibiting commercial bribery. Among them are [[California]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://codes.lp.findlaw.com/cacode/PEN/3/1/15/2/s641.3|title=California Penal Code - PEN § 641.3 - FindLaw|work=Findlaw}}</ref> [[Delaware]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://codes.lp.findlaw.com/decode/11/5/III/881|title=DEL CODE § 881 : Delaware Code - Section 881: BRIBERY; CLASS A MISDEMEANOR|work=Findlaw}}</ref> [[Massachusetts]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIV/TitleI/Chapter271/Section39|title=General Laws|work=malegislature.gov}}</ref> [[New Jersey]],{{Cite NJSA |title=2C|chapter=21|section=10|citeonly=true}} [[New York (state)|New York]], and [[Texas]].,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://codes.lp.findlaw.com/txstatutes/PE/7/32/D/32.43|title=TEX PE. CODE ANN. § 32.43 : Texas Statutes - Section 32.43: COMMERCIAL BRIBERY|work=Findlaw}}</ref> and [[Washington (state)|Washington]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=9A.68.060|title=Revised Code of Washington (RCW). § 9A.68}}</ref> However, the federal [[mail and wire fraud]] statutes <ref>{{usc|18|1341}} and {{usc|18|1343}}</ref> can be used to prosecute commercial bribery as a "scheme or artifice to defraud" if the mail or interstate wire facilities are used. In addition, use of the mails or interstate travel or communication in furtherance of a violation of state commercial bribery laws may be prosecutable in [[United States district courts|Federal court]] under the [[Travel Act]].<ref name=Emmick>{{cite web|last=Emmick |first=Mike |title=The Travel Act – The FCPA's red-haired stepchild |url=https://newsandinsight.thomsonreuters.com/Legal/Insight/2012/02_-_February/The_Travel_Act_%E2%80%93_The_FCPA_s_red-haired_stepchild/ |work=Thomson Reuters News and Insight |publisher=[[Thomson Reuters]] |date=2012-02-01 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120209010519/https://newsandinsight.thomsonreuters.com/Legal/Insight/2012/02_-_February/The_Travel_Act_%E2%80%93_The_FCPA_s_red-haired_stepchild/ |archivedate=February 9, 2012 }}</ref> As the penalties under the federal statutes may exceed the state penalties, and the federal investigative and enforcement agencies may have superior resources, often federal prosecution is favored.