Supreme Court to Review Former Indiana Mayor’s Corruption Appeal

The US Supreme Court will hear an appeal from a former Indiana town mayor who was convicted of bribery for accepting $13,000 from a government contractor for what he said were “consulting services.”

The justices agreed Wednesday to review an appeals court decision affirming James Snyder’s 2021 conviction. The former mayor of Portage was sentenced to a year and nine months in prison followed by a year of supervised release for one count of corruptly soliciting a bribe or gratuity, and one count of corruptly interfering with the administration of tax laws.

The federal government says Snyder, who was behind on taxes for both himself and his business, successfully steered two contracts for town garbage trucks worth $1.125 million to the Great Lakes Peterbilt trucking company in return for $13,000.

Snyder argues the money was a gratuity for consulting work his company did and that gratuities don’t fall under the federal corruption law like a bribe. He said the federal appeals courts are divided over whether it’s a federal crime for a state or local official to accept a gratuity. The First and Fifth Circuits, he said, have ruled the government must prove there was a quid pro quo bribe.

In this case, he said, the Seventh Circuit is joining the Second, Sixth, Eighth, and Eleventh Circuits in not requiring a quid pro quo and allowing convictions for gratuities.

The case is Snyder v. United States, U.S., No. 23-108.