Editing Influence peddling (section)

{{short description|Form of lobbying}}
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[[File:10_-_hands_shaking_with_euro_bank_notes_inside_handshake_-_royalty_free,_without_copyright,_public_domain_photo_image_01.JPG | thumb | right | Trading cash for influence ]]
'''Influence peddling''', also called '''traffic of influence''' or '''trading in influence''', is the practice of using one's influence in government or connections with authorities to obtain favours or preferential treatment for another, usually in [[Money trail|return for payment]]. Influence peddling ''per se'' is not necessarily illegal, as the [[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development]] (OECD) has often used the modified term "undue influence peddling" to refer to illegal acts of lobbying;<ref>{{cite web |title=Building a Cleaner World Economy |url=http://www.oecd.org/economy/buildingacleanerworldeconomy.htm |website=OECD |access-date=6 July 2020}}</ref> however, influence peddling is typically associated with corruption and may therefore delegitimise democratic politics with the general public. It is punishable as a crime in Argentina, Belgium, Bulgaria, Brazil, France, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Mexico, Portugal, Romania,<ref>{{cite book |last= Semeraro|first= P.|date= 2000|title= I delitti di millantato credito e traffico di influenza|trans-title=The offenses of false claims and traffic of influence|url= http://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/4720493|language= it|location= Milan|publisher= Giuffrè|isbn= 8814083029}}</ref> Spain, and the United Kingdom.