FAQ – Federal Bribery and Public Corruption Charges What is a federal bribery charge? It is a federal crime to pay bribes or gratuities to public officials. 18 U.S.C. § 201. The federal government has in recent years aggressively prosecuted instances of bribery and gratuity payments to public officials. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), 15 U.S.C. § 78dd et