Today, a person commits the crime of bribery by giving or offering a public official or public employee something of value in return for some official action (or in exchange for the public official not doing something he or she is legally obligated to do), benefitting the defendant.

Are bribes always illegal?

Under Section 201 of Title 18 of the U.S. Code, bribery includes indirectly influencing any official act by corruptly giving, offering, or promising anything of value to a public official. ... Bribes and kickbacks, a particular form of bribery, are always illegal.

Can you go to jail for bribing?

While conviction for giving or receiving an illegal gratuity can lead to a 2-year prison sentence, a bribery conviction can result in up to 15 years imprisonment and potentially enormous fines. Other tools are preferred by prosecutors for prosecuting state and local officials.