Bribery, Part 2: Modern Bribery, America-style

When most think of the word 'bribery', thoughts automatically go to third-world countries such as some in Africa, where the paying of a bribe permits one to accomplish regular business.  However, in America, bribery exists, just in different forms. For example:

In the Chicago Tribune John Kass summarized the activity of ex-governor of Illinois, Republican George Ryan, who went to federal prison in 2007 to serve a six year sentence:

A federal jury convicted him on 18 corruption counts, including allowing the deadly licenses-for-bribes scheme to continue under him when he was Illinois secretary of state and cynically quashing an investigation into whether a truck driver paid a bribe for his license before being involved in the horrific, fiery explosion that claimed the lives of six of Scott and Janet’s children.

(HT: Justin Taylor)

See also post: To Bribe or Not to Bribe