3142

LAWS OF MARYLAND

Ch. 805

(1)  "Contract" means any claim, account or
demand against or agreement with Prince George's County,
express or implied, but shall not apply to those exceptions
under [section 61A-7 of this subtitle] SUBSECTION (G) OF
THIS SECTION.

(2)  "Financial interest" means ownership by the
official or his spouse, brother, sister, or child, jointly
or severally, of a total of more than three [(3%)] per
centum of the invested capital or capital stock of or
receipt of a total combined compensation of more than five
thousand dollars [($5,000.00)] per year from any firm,
corporation, or association involved in the decision being
made by the official or his agency, but shall not be
construed to mean or include an interest or investment in
land geographically remote from the land involved in the
decision, a possibility of reverter, a mortgage, or other
security interest in which the real party in interest is not
as otherwise defined in this subsection.

(3)  "Public officials" means all elected and
appointed officers and employees of the county, whether
subject to the personnel merit system or otherwise, and to
the county commissioners, state's attorney, county
treasurer, judges of the orphans court, clerk of the circuit
court, county surveyor, sheriff, department heads, and all
other officers, employees and members of boards,
commissions, and agencies including Prince George's County
members of the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission and
Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
appointed by the governor or hired or appointed by or under
the authority of the county commissioners or any other
elected official or officials, which persons shall
hereinafter be referred to as "official" or "officials".

(4)  "Bribe" means money, property, gift, fee,
payment, services, loan, entertainment, hospitality or other
thing having a value of fifty dollars [($50.00)] or more.

(b)  Under the provisions of this [subtitle] SECTION,
any person who gives or offers or causes to be given or
offered a bribe or agreement to a public official or
attempts, directly or indirectly, by threat, menace, deceit,
suppression of truth, or other corrupt means, to influence a
public official in the performance of his official duties is
punishable by imprisonment for not more than ten years, or
by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars
[($5,000.00)], or by both.

(c)  Under the provisions of this [subtitle] SECTION,
any public official who asks, receives, or agrees to receive
any bribe upon any understanding that his official opinion,
judgment or action shall be influenced thereby, or shall be
given in any particular manner or upon any particular side
of any question or matter upon which he may be required to
act in his official capacity, is punishable by imprisonment