Bribery
in the United States, the word applied to an attempt to corruptly influence, by means of offers of reward, the course of legislation, the result of an election, the verdict of a jury, the decision of a magistrate, etc. It is not necessary to constitute an indictable offence that the bribe be accepted. The tender of the bribe is the essence of the crime.
If a bribe be offered a witness to swear falsely the crime is not bribery, but is merged into subornation of perjury.
The penalty for bribery is fine or imprisonment, or both.