California AG Warns: Bribery of Federal Officials Remains Illegal Despite Political Climate
California Attorney General Rob Bonta warns businesses that bribing federal officials violates state law, regardless of the current federal administration pr...
POLICY WIRE — Sacramento, USA — California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a formal reminder on Tuesday clarifying that providing bribes or prohibited gratuities to federal officials to secure business is a crime.
The state’s top prosecutor emphasized that illegal gratuities—gifts given to officials for performing their standard duties—can still lead to prosecution. Bonta noted that anti-corruption violations remain actionable under California’s Unfair Competition Law.
“Despite the tone from the top of the Trump Administration, corruption remains illegal,” Bonta stated in an official release. Today, I’m reminding businesses in California that bribing federal officials is illegal under California law. Corruption is corrosive to democracy. Our great nation and the Golden State do not thrive on corrupt attempts to profit from government power, and we do not intend to start now — corruption is still illegal and will not be tolerated.”
Federal statutes strictly forbid the bribery of public entities to influence official acts or the exchange of value for services to be performed. Such actions may also violate broader anti-fraud and honest services laws.
Bonta urged organizations to maintain rigorous internal controls and ensure compliance with all applicable bribery laws, irrespective of the priorities or conduct of the federal administration.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
