§ 601. — Deprivation of employment or other benefit for political contribution.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 18USC601]
TITLE 18--CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
PART I--CRIMES
CHAPTER 29--ELECTIONS AND POLITICAL ACTIVITIES
Sec. 601. Deprivation of employment or other benefit for
political contribution
(a) Whoever, directly or indirectly, knowingly causes or attempts to
cause any person to make a contribution of a thing of value (including
services) for the benefit of any candidate or any political party, by
means of the denial or deprivation, or the threat of the denial or
deprivation, of--
(1) any employment, position, or work in or for any agency or
other entity of the Government of the United States, a State, or a
political subdivision of a State, or any compensation or benefit of
such employment, position, or work; or
(2) any payment or benefit of a program of the United States, a
State, or a political subdivision of a State;
if such employment, position, work, compensation, payment, or benefit is
provided for or made possible in whole or in part by an Act of Congress,
shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned not more than one year,
or both.
(b) As used in this section--
(1) the term ``candidate'' means an individual who seeks
nomination for election, or election, to Federal, State, or local
office, whether or not such individual is elected, and, for purposes
of this paragraph, an individual shall be deemed to seek nomination
for election, or election, to Federal, State, or local office, if he
has (A) taken the action necessary under the law of a State to
qualify himself for nomination for election, or election, or (B)
received contributions or made expenditures, or has given his
consent for any other person to receive contributions or make
expenditures, with a view to bringing about his nomination for
election, or election, to such office;
(2) the term ``election'' means (A) a general, special primary,
or runoff election, (B) a convention or caucus of a political party
held to nominate a candidate, (C) a primary election held for the
selection of delegates to a nominating convention of a political
party, (D) a primary election held for the expression of a
preference for the nomination of persons for election to the office
of President, and (E) the election of delegates to a constitutional
convention for proposing amendments to the Constitution of the
United States or of any State; and
(3) the term ``State'' means a State of the United States, the
District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any
territory or possession of the United States.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 721; Pub. L. 94-453, Sec. 1, Oct. 2,
1976, 90 Stat. 1516; Pub. L. 103-322, title XXXIII, Sec. 330016(1)(L),
Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.)
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Secs. 61c, 61g (Aug. 2, 1939,
11:50 a.m., E.S.T., ch. 410, Secs. 4, 8, 53 Stat. 1147, 1148).
This section consolidates sections 61c and 61g of title 18, U.S.C.,
1940 ed.
The words ``except as required by law'' were used as sufficient to
cover the reference to the exception made to the provisions of
subsection (b), section 61h of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., which
expressly prescribes the circumstances under which a person may be
lawfully deprived of his employment and compensation therefor.
Changes were made in phraseology.
Amendments
1994--Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103-322 substituted ``fined under this
title'' for ``fined not more than $10,000'' in concluding provisions.
1976--Pub. L. 94-453 struck out provisions relating to deprivations
based upon race, creed, and color which are now set out in section 246
of this title, replaced term ``political activity'' with more precise
terms and definitions, and raised the amount of maximum fine from $1,000
to $10,000.
