Acceptance or solicitation to obtain appointive public office
Official text prohibited actmental stateif conditionpenaltylegal term
Whoever solicits or receives, either as a political contribution, or for personal emolument, any money or , in consideration of the promise of support or use of influence in obtaining for any person any appointive office or place under the United States, shall be or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
Whoever solicits or receives any in consideration of aiding a person to obtain employment under the United States either by referring his name to an executive department or agency of the United States or by requiring the payment of a fee because such person has secured such employment shall be , or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
This section shall not apply to such services rendered by an employment agency pursuant to the written request of an executive department or agency of the United States.
History: (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 694 (PDF, 39 MB), §211, formerly §215; Sept. 13, 1951, ch. 380, 65 Stat. 320; renumbered §211, Pub. L. 87–849, §1(b), Oct. 23, 1962, 76 Stat. 1125 (PDF, 1.6 MB); Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, §330016(1)(H), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147 (PDF, 52 MB).)
Simplified explanation
It is a federal crime to ask for or accept money or anything of value, including as a political contribution, in exchange for promising to support or use influence to get someone an appointed federal position. It is also a crime to charge someone for helping them get federal employment, such as by referring their name to an agency or requiring a fee after they are hired.