Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

Contours of Bribery Analyzed By Second Circuit In Bank Corruption Case

By Elkan Abramowitz and Jonathan Sack
February 01, 2024

Since the 1980s, the U.S. Supreme Court has sought to clarify the boundaries of federal bribery and corruption law. The overall effect has been to complicate, perhaps even curtail, such prosecutions. This pattern began with McNally v. United States, 483 U.S. 350 (1987), which limited the scope of the mail/wire fraud statutes, and continued after Congress enacted the "honest services" statute (18 U.S.C. §1346), through Skilling v. United States, 561 U.S. 358 (2010), McDonnell v. United States, 579 U.S. 550 (2016), Kelly v. United States, 590 U.S. —, 140 S. Ct. 1565 (2020), and last term in Ciminelli v. United States, 598 U.S. 306 (2023) and Percoco v. United States, 598 U.S. 319 (2023).

Bribes and kickbacks of public and private officials in the United States are still prosecuted under the mail/wire fraud statutes and the Hobbs Act, but departures from paradigmatic cases have become more vulnerable to challenge.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit's recent affirmance in the case of a bank officer convicted of corruption is noteworthy when viewed against that backdrop. United States v. Calk, 87 F.4th 164 (2d Cir. 2023). In that case, Stephen Calk was charged with "corruptly" causing a bank to make loans to Paul Manafort in exchange for help securing a position in the Trump administration. The prosecution was brought under 18 U.S.C. §215(a)(2), a statute that prohibits bribery in connection with the business of a financial institution.

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
'Huguenot LLC v. Megalith Capital Group Fund I, L.P.': A Tutorial On Contract Liability for Real Estate Purchasers Image

In June 2024, the First Department decided Huguenot LLC v. Megalith Capital Group Fund I, L.P., which resolved a question of liability for a group of condominium apartment buyers and in so doing, touched on a wide range of issues about how contracts can obligate purchasers of real property.

Strategy vs. Tactics: Two Sides of a Difficult Coin Image

With each successive large-scale cyber attack, it is slowly becoming clear that ransomware attacks are targeting the critical infrastructure of the most powerful country on the planet. Understanding the strategy, and tactics of our opponents, as well as the strategy and the tactics we implement as a response are vital to victory.

CoStar Wins Injunction for Breach-of-Contract Damages In CRE Database Access Lawsuit Image

Latham & Watkins helped the largest U.S. commercial real estate research company prevail in a breach-of-contract dispute in District of Columbia federal court.

Fresh Filings Image

Notable recent court filings in entertainment law.

The Power of Your Inner Circle: Turning Friends and Social Contacts Into Business Allies Image

Practical strategies to explore doing business with friends and social contacts in a way that respects relationships and maximizes opportunities.