Afternoon Briefing: Supreme Court has tough questions over bribery prosecutions

Good afternoon, Chicago.

A government attorney faced tough questioning today from U.S. Supreme Court justices over concerns that the federal bribery statute often used to prosecute public officials, including a former Indiana mayor, is vague and potentially criminalizes innocuous gift-giving by people from all walks of life.

The oral arguments came in a case involving James Snyder, the former mayor of Portage, Indiana, who was convicted of taking a $13,000 “consulting” fee from a garbage truck contractor that had recently won two lucrative contracts with the town.

Here’s what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit chicagotribune.com/latest-headlines and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices.

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FILE - Former President Donald Trump leaves Manhattan criminal court, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, in New York. The hush money trial of former President Donald Trump begins Monday, April 15, with jury selection. It's a singular moment for American history as the first criminal trial of a former U.S. commander-in-chief. It's also the first of Trump's four indictments to go to trial. Trump is the presumptive Republican presidential nominee for November's election. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)
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