James Snyder was convicted of taking $13,000 from a trucking company after prosecutors said he steered about $1 million worth of city contracts their way.
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court overturned the bribery conviction of a former Indiana mayor on Wednesday in an opinion that narrows the scope of public corruption law.
The high court sided 6-3 with James Snyder, who was convicted of taking $13,000 from a trucking company after prosecutors said he steered about $1 million worth of city contracts their way.
Snyder, a Republican, has maintained his innocence, saying the money was payment for consulting work.
His attorneys argued before the high court that prosecutors hadn’t proved there was a “quid pro quo” exchange agreement before the contracts were awarded, and prosecuting officials for gratuities given after the fact unfairly criminalizes normal gift giving.
The Justice Department countered that the law was clearly meant to cover gifts “corruptly” given to public officials as rewards …