Hm. Quid pro quo is definitely illegal, and prosecutable. You’re saying that because I say “I promise to give you X if you pay me Y” while I’m campaigning, that I’m protected from prosecution? Do I have to be actively campaigning? Does it have to be before a crowd? Can I – as a politician – sit in a room and promise to hand something to a “donor” simply by wrapping the conversation in some campaign-ish wording? Is “I was campaigning for office when I took the bribe” a catch-all defense?
Hm. Quid pro quo is definitely illegal, and prosecutable. You’re saying that because I say “I promise to give you X if you pay me Y” while I’m campaigning, that I’m protected from prosecution? Do I have to be actively campaigning? Does it have to be before a crowd? Can I – as a politician – sit in a room and promise to hand something to a “donor” simply by wrapping the conversation in some campaign-ish wording? Is “I was campaigning for office when I took the bribe” a catch-all defense?