Section 666 of Title 18 has become one of the most important legal tools used in the federal prosecution of state and local corruption. The law applies broadly to public and private organizations funded by the federal government and makes it a crime to “corruptly solicit[ ][,] demand[ ][,]…or accept[ ]…anything of value” with the “inten[t] to be influenced or rewarded in connection with” an organization’s activities. 18 U.S.C. §666(a)(1)(B).

Public corruption is a perennial focus of prosecutors, so the reach of Section 666 is of importance. The new Whistleblower Pilot Program of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District, for instance, expressly seeks to help the office “bring[ ] complex public corruption cases,” among others.