по-русски

Actual Problems of
Economics and Law
 

16+

 

DOI: 10.21202/2782-2923.2021.3.573-602

скачать PDF

Authors :
1. Michael J. Morgan, J. D. Candidate, 2022; B. A., 2019, University of Pennsylvania
Fordham University School of Law



Bridging the gap: assessing the state of federal corruption law after Kelly v. United States

Objective: to reveal the gaps and contradictions in the US federal anti-corruption law, to elaborate the means of solving the contradictions and bridging the gaps.
 
Methods: dialectical approach to cognition of social phenomena using the general scientific (analysis, synthesis, induction) and specific scientific (formal-legal, systemic, comparative-legal, sociological) research methods.
 
Results: Political corruption in the United States has become more and more prevalent in recent years. These days it seems difficult to turn on the news without hearing accusations of a public official caught in a scandal. Despite the frequency of the corrupt acts, however, the federal government remains largely unable to hold state actors accountable. The U.S. Supreme Court has consistently overturned federal convictions of state officials charged with committing corrupt acts. The issue in these cases is not the lack of corruption or proof of the acts but rather, the lack of laws that adequately criminalize the corrupt conduct. As a result, the same corrupt actions being publicly denounced in the news are being excused in the justice system. This paper examines the Court's recent corruption cases and analyzes the rationales behind them, including Kelly v. United States, the most recent case in the federal corruption saga.
 
Scientific novelty: the author concludes that in Kelly V. United States the Court is sending a clear message to the US Congress: amend the corruption laws to properly cover the conduct. In this regard, the author proposes an amended version of the current law that takes into account the analysis of Kelly and other federal corruption cases. It is proposed to define "honest services" in the federal law, which would provide federal prosecutors a viable statute to combat corruption.
 
Practical significance: the main provisions and conclusions of the article can be used in scientific, pedagogical and law enforcement activities when considering the issues related to prevention and control of law breaches.

Keywords :

Gaps; Contradictions; Corruption; Corruption counteraction; Honest services; Kelly v. United States


Bibliography :
1. Zernike K. The Bridge Scandal, Explained, N.Y. Times, May 1, 2015, available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/04/nyregion/george-washington-bridge-scandal-what-you-need-to-know.html [https://perma.cc/4MQH-SMFY].
2. Liptak A., Corasaniti N. Supreme Court Unanimously Overturns 'Bridgegate' Convictions, N.Y. Times, May 7, 2020, available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/07/us/supreme-court-bridgegate.html [https://perma.cc/X7AU-F3C3].
3. Zernike K., Remnick N. Fort Lee Officials Recall Chaos and Turmoil as Lanes to Bridge Were Closed, N.Y. Times, Sept. 20, 2016, available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/21/nyregion/fort-lee-police-chief-recalls-chaos-and-turmoil-as-bridge-laneswere-closed.html [https://perma.cc/BZ3G-B2UZ].
4. Litman L. The Supreme Court Says Sorry, It Just Can't Help with Political Corruption, Atlantic, May 8, 2020, available at: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/05/supreme-court-embracing-deep-cynicism-about-world/611374/ [https://perma.cc/KH5P-KWZM].
5. Brown G. D. McDonnell and the Criminalization of Politics, Va. J. Crim. L., 2017, Vol. 5, No. 1, p. 22.
6. Ramos D. Opinion, Va. Ex-governor wins at Supreme Court, but corruption is still illegal, Bos. Globe, June 28, 2016, available at: https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2016/06/27/governor-wins-supreme-court-but-corruption-stillillegal/1UHYwo06otnV9wkXgU0gLJ/story.html [https://perma.cc/3P58-LPKT]).
7. Teachout Z. Corruption in America, Harvard University Press, 2014, 384 p.
8. McDuffee A. This Diamond Gift to Benjamin Franklin Is the Reason Donald Trump Can't Profit from the Presidency, Timeline, Sept. 22, 2017, available at: https://timeline.com/benjamin-franklin-emoluments-constitution-40339b04c159 [https://perma.cc/CR83-8DZR].
9. LaFraniere Sh. Appeals Court Allows Emoluments Suit Against Trump to Proceed, N.Y. Times, May 14, 2020, available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/14/us/politics/trump-emoluments-clause-fourth-circuit.html [https://perma.cc/RJ2D-6967].
10. Wilson A. K. Note, Different Quids for Different Quos: Why Congress Should Amend Anti-corruption Standards to Differentiate Between Campaign Contributions and Gratuities After McDonnell, N. Y. U. J. Legis. & Pub. Pol'y, 2019, No. 21, pp. 1033–1035.
11. Hellman D. Defining Corruption and Constitutionalizing Democracy, Mich. L. Rev., 2013, No. 111, p. 1385.
12. Eisler J. McDonnell and Anti-corruption's Last Stand, U.C. Davis L. Rev., 2017, No. 50, p. 1619.
13. Issacharoff S. Comment, On Political Corruption, Harv. L. Rev., 2010, No. 124, p. 118.
14. Moohr G. S. Mail Fraud and the Intangible Rights Doctrine: Someone to Watch over Us, Harv. J. on Legis., 1994, No. 31, p. 153.
15. Rakoff J. S. The Federal Mail Fraud Statute (pt. 1), Duq. L. Rev., 1980, No. 18, p. 771.
16. Byung J. “BJay” Pak. Private Sector Honest Services Fraud Prosecutions After Skilling v. United States, Dep't Just. J. Fed. L. &Prac., Oct. 2018, p. 149.
17. Oxman P. M. Note, The Federal Mail Fraud Statute After McNally v. United States, 107 S. Ct. 2875 (1987): The Remains of the Intangible Rights Doctrine and Its Proposed Congressional Restoration, Am. Crim. L. Rev., 1988, No. 25, p. 743.
18. Hortis A. Note, Valuing Honest Services: The Common Law Evolution of Section 1346, N. Y. U. L. Rev., 1999, No. 74, p. 1099.
19. Foster M. A. Bribery, Kickbacks, and Self-Dealing: An Overview of Honest Services Fraud and Issues for Congress, Cong. Rsch. Serv., 2020, R45479, pp. 23–24.
20. Stop Trading On Congressional Knowledge Act, Pub. L., 2012, No. 112–105, 126 Stat. 291.
21. Warren E. My Plan to End Washington Corruption, Medium, Sept. 16, 2019, available at: https://medium.com/@teamwarren/my-plan-to-end-washington-corruption-554c7f01aaa5 [https://perma.cc/4ERW-THQW].
22. Burns A. Seven 2020 Democrats Pledge to Focus First Bill on Fighting Corruption, N.Y. Times, July 29, 2019, available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/29/us/politics/end-citizens-united-pledge.html [https://perma.cc/Z5K3-QEPA].
23. Edmondson C. House Democrats Will Vote on Sweeping Anti-corruption Legislation. Here's What's in It, N.Y. Times, Mar. 7, 2019, available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/07/us/politics/house-democrats-anti-corruption-bill.html [https://perma.cc/CPP5-NDFQ].
24. Ethics and Public Corruption Laws: Penalties, Nat'l Conf. of State Legislatures, Sept. 8, 2020, available at: https://www.ncsl.org/research/ethics/50-state-chart-criminal-penalties-for-public-corr.aspx [https://perma.cc/T855-TB7N].
25. Henning P. J. Federalism and the Federal Prosecution of State and Local Corruption, Ky. L.J., 2004, No. 92, p. 75.
26. Brown G. D. Should Federalism Shield Corruption? – Mail Fraud, State Law and Post-Lopez Analysis, Cornell L. Rev., 1997, No. 82, p. 225.
27. Ehrlich S. A. The Increasing Federalization of Crime, Ariz. St. L. J., 2000, No. 32, p. 825.
28. Frumin A. Judge Finds Probable Cause to Probe Chris Christie Over Bridgegate, NBC News, Oct. 13, 2016, available at: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/judge-finds-probable-cause-probe-chris-christie-over-bridgegate-n665766 [https://perma.cc/A4T7-NXUA].
29. Pries A. Judge Again Denies Request for Special Prosecutor in Christie Case, N. Jersey, Dec. 23, 2016, available at: https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/2016/12/23/judge-denies-motion-reconsider-rejection-special-prosecutor-christie-bridgegatecase/95793480/ [https://perma.cc/2BQP-V8F5].
30. Messick R. Where the Real Blame for Letting Bridgegate Defendants off Lies: Part I, Global Anticorruption Blog, May 20, 2020, available at: https://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2020/05/20/where-the-real-blame-for-letting-bridgegate-defendants-offlies-part-i [https://perma.cc/8PH5-SDLV].
31. Lockwood C. D. Defining Indefiniteness: Suggested Revisions to the Void for Vagueness Doctrine, Cardozo Pub. L. Pol'y&Ethics J., 2010, No. 8, p. 255.
32. Batey R. Vagueness and the Construction of Criminal Statutes—Balancing Acts, Va. J. Soc. Pol'y&L., 1997, No. 5, p. 1.
33. Rauch J. Political Realism: How Hacks, Machines, Big Money, and Back-Room Deals Can Strengthen American Democracy, Brookings Inst., 2015, No. 15, available at: https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/political-realism-rauch2.pdf [https://perma.cc/au6s-cfbf].
34. Edsall Th. B. Opinion, The Value of Political Corruption, N.Y. Times, Aug. 5, 2014, available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/06/opinion/thomas-edsall-the-value-of-political-corruption.html?searchResultPosition=1 [https://perma.cc/EW6WRAYS].
35. Brown G. D. Defending Bridgegate, Wash. & Lee L. Rev. Online, 2020, No. 77, p. 141.
36. Wiktor A. Note, You Say Intrastate, I Say Interstate: Why We Should Call the Whole Thing Off, Fordham L. Rev., 2018, No. 87, p. 1323.
37. Abramovsky A., Edelstein J. I. Prosecuting Judges for Ethical Violations: Are Criminal Sanctions Constitutional and Prudent, or Do They Constitute a Threat to Judicial Independence? Fordham Urb. L.J., 2006, No. 33, p. 727.
38. Cerabino Th. Recent Development, Penal Law § 195.00(2), St. John's L. Rev., 1979, No. 54, p. 137.
39. Morgan M. J. Bridging the gap: assessing the state of federal corruption law after Kelly v. United States, Fordham Law Review, 2021, Vol. 89, Iss. 5, pp. 2339–2374.

 


Citation :
Morgan M. J. Bridging the gap: assessing the state of federal corruption law after Kelly v. United States, Russian Journal of Economics and Law, 2021, Vol. 15, No. 3, pp. 573–602. DOI: http://dx.doi.
org/10.21202/2782-2923.2021.3.573-602

Type of article : The scientific article

Date of receipt of the article :
11.05.2021

Date of adoption of the print :
12.06.2021

Date of online accommodation :
25.09.2021
Контент доступен под лицензией
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0
Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)
RULES
for the authors

Search

by keywords, authors:


 

 

Useful references