Official bribery is the term that defines the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of anything of value to influence an act by a public official or government employee. Traditional bribery statutes were historically designed to combat public corruption, focusing exclusively on the actions of government agents. This distinguishes it from commercial bribery, which involves the corruption of a private individual to gain a commercial or business advantage. The focus on "government agents or employees" is the key element that defines the act as official bribery.

1. Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). (2023). Fraud Examiners Manual, International Edition. Section 2: Corruption Schemes, Bribery. The manual states, "Official bribery refers to the corruption of a public official to influence an official act of government."

2. Rose-Ackerman, S., & Palifka, B. J. (2016). Corruption and Government: Causes, Consequences, and Reform (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. In Chapter 4, "Bribes," the text discusses the legal definition of bribery, centering on payments to public officials to subvert rules and regulations (pp. 67-69). https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139962933

3. United States Code. Title 18, Part I, Chapter 11, § 201, "Bribery of public officials and witnesses." This foundational U.S. federal statute, taught in university law courses on white-collar crime, explicitly defines and proscribes bribery in the context of influencing a "public official," thereby codifying the concept of official bribery.