Bribes VS. Gifts

It is important to understand the difference between a gift and a bribe. Bribery is a white collar crime and is considered a felony in most states. Many people find themselves confused about the difference in a gift verses a bribe.

Let’s begin by defining what exactly a bribe is. A bribe is generally intended to change the outcome of a decision. It is understood that in the giving/accepting of the gift you are expected to be swayed. A decision could be to go with a specific vender, to hire a certain person, to decide on new law, or any number of critical decisions depending on your position held.

For example: A wealthy politician’s son is charged with a crime that would embarrass his family, such as drugs. The politician approaches the Judge knowing his son recently graduated from college and is looking for an opportunity to get his foot in the door into politics. The politician offers his son a prestigious position if the Judge will sweep the charges for his son under the rug. This would be considered a bribe, and is a crime.

A gift, however, has no strings attached. A gift is given simply to show appreciation for time or patronage. Gifts have zero expectations from the one receiving them. Gifts are generally not over indulgent or out of the normal for the industry standards.

For example: A company is interviewing a perspective new employee and they meet for dinner at a nice restaurant to interview. The company does the interview over dinner and picks up the tab. There is no guarantee of a job, or any expectation of the one interviewing to accept the job because dinner was bought. This could be considered just a gift and a way to introduce themselves to a prospective employee.

If you find yourself in a situation where your ethics are being called into question, you need to find an experienced defense attorney who specializes in white collar crime. Many times these cases can be resolved before it comes to an indictment. As we stated before, this can be considered a felony, so do not take it lightly.

Attorney Paul Morrison and his associates have the experience and expertise defending white collar crime. Don’t leave your defense to chance. Call Morrison Law Firm, LLC at (913) 780-6666 or connect with us online to schedule a free consultation with one of our attorneys.