Originally Posted by
scolbath
While in general I agree with your line of reasoning, the fact is that the law isn't stated that way - there are no qualifiers of magnitude of effect in that section of law. I work for one of the top 5 defense contractors here in the US. When we have a technical meeting, frequented by GS-9s through GS-13s, and it bridges lunch, I am required by my employer to solicit payment for that lunch from every govvie in attendence - even though none of them are the Contracting Officer or the Contracting Officer's Technical Representative, the only two individuals who are by law able to give me, the contractor, an order. In addition, we have an internal IT system designed specifically to *track and approve* all such expenditures.
If you have too much leeway for judgement, that's when funny business starts.
...and a defense contractor, unlike a TSO federal employee, does stand to benefit from swaying hearts and minds through a gift. Really, though, this is off topic, and a total rabbit hole.
Originally Posted by
richarddd
It's basically an anti-bribery law.
Exactly my point. The City of Atlanta is obviously not bribing a TSO to do something inappropriate here.