Influence peddling

Influence peddling, also called traffic of influence or trading in influence, is the practice of using one's influence in government or connections with authorities to obtain favours or preferential treatment for another, usually in return for payment. Influence peddling per se is not necessarily illegal, as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has often used the modified term "undue influence peddling" to refer to illegal acts of lobbying; however, influence peddling is typically associated with corruption and may therefore delegitimise democratic politics with the general public. It is punishable as a crime in Argentina, Belgium, Bulgaria, Brazil, France, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Mexico, Portugal, Romania, Spain, and the United Kingdom.^{[citation needed]}

In December 2008, Rod Blagojevich, the then Governor of Illinois, was accused of influence peddling in attempting to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by the then President-elect Barack Obama. Blagojevich was convicted in 2011 and sentenced to 14 years in prison. He was later pardoned by then-President Donald Trump by February 2020. Larry O'Brien, the then mayor of Ottawa, was brought to trial on similar grounds in May 2009. O'Brien was accused of purported influence peddling. On 5 August 2009, both charges were dismissed.

The 2009 cash for influence scandal was a political scandal in the United Kingdom concerning four Labour Party Life Peers offering to help make amendments to legislation in exchange for money.

In April 2009, former Newfoundland and Labrador 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.

A 2010 journalistic sting operation revealed Members of the United Kingdom Parliament and House of Lords offering to work for a fictitious political lobbying firm for fees of £3,000 to £5,000 per day (see 2010 cash for influence scandal).

In 2011, the European Commission's Anti-fraud Office opened a formal investigation for corruption against a number of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) after an article in The Sunday Times claimed they had tried to influence EU legislation in exchange for money. Three MEPs were convicted.

In 2012, Amado Boudou, the then vice president of Argentina, 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 scandal became known as Boudougate, as the contracts were awarded by Boudou himself when he was the Economy Minister. In 2018, Boudou was convicted of corruption and sentenced to 5 years and 10 months in prison, as well as being banned from running for office. He was granted parole in 2021, 5 years into his sentence

In the Radia tapes controversy of the late 2000s and early 2010, Nira Radia was 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. No major charges were brought against Radia, and the case did not result in convictions.