Attorney General Bonta Alerts Businesses: It Remains Illegal to Bribe Public Officials
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra - Press Releases ·
November 10, 2026 Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued a legal alert reminding businesses operating in California that it remains illegal to pay bribes or prohibited gratuities to federal officials to obtain or retain business, regardless of the priorities and behavior of the Trump Administration. The payment of an illegal gratuity — a gift for doing what the official is paid to do anyway — continues to be unlawful. The statute of limitations for prosecutions extends beyond the current administration, and violations of these laws remain actionable under California’s Unfair Competition Law. “Despite the tone from the top of the Trump Administration, corruption remains illegal. Today, I'm reminding businesses in California that bribing federal officials is illegal under California law,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Corruption is corrosive to democracy. Our great nation and the Golden State do not thrive on corrupt attempts to profit from government power, and we do not intend to start now — corruption is still illegal and will not be tolerated.” Federal anti-corruption laws such as U.S. Code § 201(b) and U.S. Code § 201(c) respectively prohibit bribery of a public official or any other person or entity to influence an official act and prohibit the giving of money or any other thing of value to an elected official for or because of any official act performed or to be performed. The payment of bribes or other inducements to public officials can also violate general anti-fraud and honest services laws, such as 18 U.S. Code §§ 1341, as well as other state and federal laws that can serve as Unfair Competition Law predicates. In the alert, Attorney General Bonta reminds businesses and individuals to continue complying with all applicable laws, including federal bribery laws, regardless of the federal administration’s conduct or priorities. Violations of these laws are also actionable under California’s Unfair Competition Law, which prohibits unlawful, unfair, and fraudulent business practices to preserve fair business competition and protect consumers. Accordingly, businesses should continue to maintain rigorous internal controls and ensure that they and their agents do not offer or pay anything of value in exchange of official acts by federal government officials.
Источник: California Attorney General Xavier Becerra - Press Releases