No. 23-108October Term 2023Decided Jun 26, 2024
Snyder v. United States
The Supreme Court ruled that a federal anti-corruption law prohibits bribes to state and local officials but does not criminalize gratuities, which are payments made in recognition of past actions without a prior quid pro quo agreement.
Case status
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Jun 26, 2024
- What it's about
The Supreme Court ruled that a federal anti-corruption law prohibits bribes to state and local officials but does not criminalize gratuities, which are payments made in recognition of past actions without a prior quid pro quo agreement. The decision overturned the conviction of an Indiana mayor who had accepted money after the city purchased garbage trucks.
Question presented
Does 18 U.S.C. § 666(a)(1)(B) criminalize gratuities, i.e., payments in recognition of actions a state or local official has already taken or committed to take, without any quid pro quo agreement to take those actions?
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit / Decision released Jun 26, 2024
- Area
Decided Supreme Court case
Timing
Decided June 26, 2024
The Court released its decision 72 days after oral argument on April 15, 2024. The median for cases argued in April is 58 days.
Documents
Related cases
Grounding
- Grounding
- Primary-source trail available.
- Note
- Plain-English explainer. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
- Checked
- Mar 30, 2026
- Method
- Methodology