The recent indictments of members of the Cincinnati City Council on bribery charges may thrust the Supreme Court’s 2016 interpretation of the meaning of “official act” under the federal bribery statute, and previous trials dealing with that definition, into our local spotlight. The cases against Cincinnati Councilmen Sittenfeld and Pastor – and potentially other councilmembers that may be indicted, which U.S. Attorney Devillers suggested may happen – may now similarly focus on what constitutes an “official act” under federal public corruption crimes.
