佛吉尼亞前州長被判受賄，這個前州長的夫人從某個“好朋友”接受很多禮物，然後前州長出席這個好朋友的公司活動。結果2016年高院決定，隻有州長用官方行為換得禮物，才是受賄。僅僅是出席活動，給人打電話，不是官方行為，不是受賄。也就是是說，一個州長可以出賣自己的演講，站台，評語，這些都不是受賄。排除高院太“天真”，我實在不理解他們的思路。
“There is no doubt that this case is distasteful; it may be worse than that. But our concern is not with tawdry tales of Ferraris, Rolexes, and ball gowns. It is instead with the broader legal implications of the Government’s boundless interpretation of the federal bribery statute,” Roberts wrote. “A more limited interpretation of the term ‘official act’ leaves ample room for prosecuting corruption, while comporting with the text of the statute and the precedent of this Court.”
The justices set forth a straightforward rule: “Setting up a meeting, calling another public official, or hosting an event does not, standing alone, qualify as an ‘official act.’”
