Timothy Noah of Slate offers this analysis
of reports relating to carrots and sticks allegedly put in front of
Rep. Nick Smith to get his vote on the recent Medicare bill. Noah
suggests that if the facts as reported in the press are true, this may
be a violation of federal bribery law and I think he's right. I am less
sure as to whether the threats not to support Smith's son for office,
who is running to succeed him, would be prosecutable under some kind of
extortion statute such as the Hobbs Act
--
Professor Rick Hasen
Loyola Law School
919 South Albany Street
Los Angeles, CA 90015-0019
(213)736-1466 - voice
(213)380-3769 - fax
rick.hasen@lls.edu
http://www.lls.edu/academics/faculty/hasen.html
http://electionlawblog.org