Brett Kavanaugh
Role at the time: Supreme Court justice writing the majority opinion, joined by Roberts, Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch and Barrett
Defended or excused
Statement summary
Kavanaugh says Section 666 does not criminalize gratuities given as tokens of appreciation after official acts.
“The question in this case is whether §666 also makes it a crime for state and local officials to accept gratuities—for example, gift cards, lunches, plaques, books, framed photos, or the like—that may be given as a token of appreciation after the official act. The answer is no.”
Read the original text (opens in a new tab)Supreme Court opinions in Snyder v. United StatesMajority printed page 1; Jackson dissent printed pages 1-2
The Court holds that Section 666 covers bribes but not gratuities for past acts. Jackson's dissent argues that corrupt rewards fall within the statute.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Why we used this label
The case examines the Court's decision to exclude gratuities from Section 666. Kavanaugh expressly argues that Section 666 does not criminalize gratuities and defends that exclusion.