§ 227. Wrongfully influencing a private entity’s employment decisions by a Member of Congress or an officer or employee of the legislative or executive branch

• (a) Whoever, being a covered government person, with the intent to influence, solely on the basis of partisan political affiliation, an employment decision or employment practice of any private entity—
  • (1) takes or withholds, or offers or threatens to take or withhold, an official act, or
  • (2) influences, or offers or threatens to influence, the official act of another,
• (b) In this section, the term “covered government person” means—
  • (1) a Senator or Representative in, or a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress;
  • (2) an employee of either House of Congress; or
  • (3) the President, Vice President, an employee of the United States Postal Service or the Postal Regulatory Commission, or any other executive branch employee (as such term is defined under section 2105 of title 5 , United States Code).