Closing Bribery Loopholes Act

Key Points

• The bill rewrites the federal definition of an official act used in bribery law, making clear it covers almost any decision or action a public official takes as part of their duties.
• It specifically adds pardons, commutations, and reprieves, and even offers of them, to the list of official acts that cannot legally be exchanged for bribes.
• The law would apply even if the official's action does not achieve the outcome that was sought, closing a gap where failed corrupt deals might otherwise escape prosecution.
• It also clarifies that a bribery scheme can be built from a single act or from a longer pattern of conduct, making it harder to argue that a series of small favors falls outside the law.