Influence peddling

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Influence peddling is the illegal practice of using one's influence in government or connections with persons in authority to obtain favors or preferential treatment for another, usually in return for payment. Also called traffic of influence or trading in influence. In fact, influence peddling is not necessarily illegal as OECD has often used the term "undue influence peddling" to refer to illegal acts of lobbying. However, influence peddling bears the stench of corruption that may de-legitimize democratic politics with the general public.

Known cases

See also: Boudougate
  • In 2012 the vice president of Argentina Amado Boudou was accused of being a mere straw owner of the printing house Ciccone Calcográfica, a private company that has contracts to print over 120 million new Argentine pesos banknotes, license plates, and other government issues. The contracts were awarded by Boudou himself when he was the Economy Minister of Argentina.[1]
  • In April 2009, former Newfoundland politician Ed Byrne was convicted of influence peddling for his actions in the Constituency Allowance Scandal. He was the first of four politicians convicted in relation to the Scandal and the remaining politicians are on or awaiting trial.
  • As well, the mayor of Ottawa, Larry O'Brien, began his trial on similar grounds in May 2009. O'Brien was accused of purported influence peddling. The trial is currently in session and live updates can be found from the Ottawa Citizen On August 5, 2009, both charges were dismissed by Justice Douglas Cunningham, associate chief justice of Ontario’s Superior Court.[3]

This crime is punished also in France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Brazil, Argentina and Romania (P. Semeraro, I delitti di millantato credito e traffico di influenza, Milano, 2000, ed. Giuffrè).

  • Dick Cheney also did legal influence peddling with the military contractor Halliburton during the Iraq war as he later became the CEO of the company.[4]
  • Rahm Emanuel is currently asking the nations banks to not finance Firearm Companies.
  • Nira Radia, an Indian women still under investigation for using her connections with Indian politicians and Members of the Indian Media to tilt the auction of multi-million dollar licence contracts in favour of certain companies and individuals.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.lanacion.com.ar/el-caso-de-la-ex-imprenta-ciccone-t47923 El caso de la ex imprenta Ciccone (Spanish)
  2. ↑ Hornick, Ed; Kristi Keck and Brianna Keilar (December 31, 2008). "Senate Democrats hope stalling can block Blagojevich's pick". CNN. Archived from the original on May 13, 2011. Retrieved 2008-12-31. 
  3. ↑ Butler, Don (August 6, 2009). "The Mayor Returns". The Ottawa Citizen. Archived from the original on May 13, 2011. Retrieved May 13, 2011. 
  4. ↑ http://books.google.ca/books/about/The_Halliburton_Agenda.html?id=2e5OLa6W54oC&redir_esc=y

P.Semeraro, I delitti di millantato credito e traffico di influenza, Milano, 2000.

P.Semeraro, Trading in influence and Lobbying in the Spanish criminal Code

See also

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