US Laws, Codes, Statutes & Cases

                                  TITLE  18
                            CRIMES AND PUNISHMENTS
                                  CHAPTER 13
                            BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION
    18-1353.  THREATS AND OTHER IMPROPER INFLUENCE IN OFFICIAL AND POLITICAL
MATTERS. (1) Offenses defined. A person commits an offense if he:
    (a)  threatens unlawful harm to any person with purpose to influence his
    decision, opinion, recommendation, vote or other exercise of discretion as
    a public servant, party official or voter; or
    (b)  threatens harm to any public servant with purpose to influence his
    decision, opinion, recommendation, vote or other exercise of discretion in
    a judicial or administrative proceeding; or
    (c)  threatens harm to any public servant or party official with purpose
    to influence him to violate his known legal duty; or
    (d)  privately addresses to any public servant who has or will have an
    official discretion in a judicial or administrative proceeding any
    representation, entreaty, argument or other communication with purpose to
    influence the outcome on the basis of considerations other than those
    authorized by law.
    It is no defense to prosecution under this section that a person whom the
actor sought to influence was not qualified to act in the desired way, whether
because he had not yet assumed office, or lacked jurisdiction, or for any
other reason.
    (2)  Grading. An offense under this section is a misdemeanor unless the
actor threatened to commit a crime or made a threat with purpose to influence
a judicial or administrative proceeding, in which cases the offense is a
felony.