Bribery is fully legal in Pennsylvania. Legislators in Pennsylvania are prone to taking gifts, which is undemocratic and undermines the beliefs and hard work of voters. Although there are mandatory reports for travel, lodging, and hospitality over $650, and $250 for other gifts, there is no substantial way this is enforced, and legislators do not report receiving over 97% of the gifts that lobbyists report giving them. Even perfect transparency would not be enough, because gifts to public officials are blatantly corrupt and wrong, whether or not they are transparent about them. Our lack of a gift ban allows our legislators to take over $1.5 million a year in gifts and trade public policy for a good time on the lobbyists’ dime.

To remedy this obvious corruption, we need to pass a Gift Ban bill that forbids lobbyists from bribing our public officials. It should provide commonsense exceptions that include gifts from family members and low-value items. For decades, public officials have actively been avoiding any kind of solution to this problem because they directly benefit from this corruption. Politicians always seem to publicly agree with this solution and then flake out and fight to prevent the Gift Ban from being voted on.

We as voters want to put an end to this blatant corruption within our government, and we are tired of the rich influencing our public officials. 

House and Senate Leaders we are watching your actions closely this session. It’s time to pass the Gift Ban and prove that you work for us, your constituents, and not lobbyists armed with unlimited bribes.

Sincerely,

[Your Name, Name of Town]

When it comes to legal bribery, PA lawmakers should be ashamed.

Actions speak louder than words and press releases. In their interactions with lobbyists, the actions of our Representatives and Senators, both Red and Blue, are egregious and, to use a crude term, greasy.

PA lawmakers should be ashamed because we are one of only three states that doesn’t limit the amount of gifts public officials can accept. 

This is crooked, wrong, and should be illegal.

The PA House and Senate leadership, however, seem to disagree. For years, I’ve worked with MarchOnHarrisburg, spending hours educating legislative leaders about the urgent bribery reform needed to change our Capitol’s culture of corruption. 

This is perhaps the easiest and most impactful action that House Leaders and Senate Leaders can take to help restore faith in our system. This isn’t a magic wand; there’s plenty more to be done. But this is a slam dunk toward cleaning up Harrisburg’s image.

Each day that passes without action on PA’s legal bribery scheme is another day where corporate lobbyists get to set our agenda.

House and Senate Leaders: Pennsylvania is past due for action on corruption.

Pass a Gift Ban. We cannot wait forever.

People of PA: If you agree that bribery should be illegal, join MarchOnHarrisburg in demanding a Gift Ban. Get involved at giftban.org.