It is the act of offering, giving, receiving or requesting something of value in order to influence the action of an official in the fulfillment of his public or legal duties. The expectation of a particular voluntary action in return is what makes the difference between a bribe and a private display of goodwill.
Offering or providing payment to persuade someone with a responsibility to betray that responsibility is known as seeking Undue Influence over that person's actions. When someone with power seeks payment in exchange for certain actions, that person is said to be selling influence. Regardless of who initiates the deal, either party to an act of bribery can be found guilty of the crime regardless of the other.
A bribe can consist of immediate cash or personal favors, a promise of later payment, or anything else the recipient deems valuable. When the U.S. military threatened to cancel the contracts of a Texas relocation company to move families to and from military bases, the company reportedly gave four congressional representatives an expense-paid weekend in Las Vegas in January. 1989 and $ 2,500 in fees. The former president of the company was indicted by a federal grand jury in 1994 on charges of bribery for both gifts.
No written agreement is necessary to prove the crime of bribery, but generally a prosecutor must show intent to corrupt. Bribery charges can involve public officials or individuals. In the world of professional sports, for example, one boxer might offer another a prize for "throwing" (deliberately losing) an important fight. At the corporate level, a company could bribe the employees of a rival company for recruiting services or other actions at odds with the interests of their employer. Even when public officials are involved, a bribe does not have to be detrimental to the public interest to be illegal.
When a public official accepts a bribe, it creates a conflict of interest. That is, the official cannot accommodate the interests of another party without compromising the responsibilities of his position.
