Supreme Court Considers Federal Corruption Law

This week the Supreme Court will consider three challenges to a federal corruption law that has been used to prosecute a number of fraud cases, including those of former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, former Illinois governor George Ryan and some Enron executives.

Critics claim the language of the law is too vague, but many prosecutors say they depend on it when going after crooked politicians and business executives, The Washington Post reported. The government is currently using the provision in its case against Rod Blagojevich, the Illinois governor accused of trying to sell President Obama's former Senate seat.

The controversy focuses on a phrase that says it is illegal for public or private employees to "deprive another of the intangible right of honest services." That ambiguous language has recently caused cases to get caught up in lower courts, bringing criticism from federal judges.

Justice Antonin Scalia has pushed for a review of the law, according to the Post. Scalia wrote it "invites abuse by headline-grabbing prosecutors in pursuit of local officials, state legislators and corporate C.E.O.'s who engage in any manner of unappealing or ethically questionable conduct."

After refusing to consider the law last term, the court has now agreed to review it starting Tuesday.