Oliver himself during the episode exclaims his shock that such a stunt was legal, but indeed it is. Bribing Supreme Court Justices is, in effect, legal.
Bribery requires that the incentive is to illicit an action that is an official duty of the held office. Resignation is not an official duty. It is legally, under federal law, not a bribe.
Thats literal bribery
Oliver himself during the episode exclaims his shock that such a stunt was legal, but indeed it is. Bribing Supreme Court Justices is, in effect, legal.
It’s closer to a job offer. Resigning would be a personal rather than an official act.
Bribery requires that the incentive is to illicit an action that is an official duty of the held office. Resignation is not an official duty. It is legally, under federal law, not a bribe.
https://www.newsweek.com/john-oliver-offers-clarence-thomas-million-resign-unlikely-broke-law-1871787
And here is the law. At a glance, yeah, there was no bribe. It was not corrupt, it was not asking for an official action, and even if it were an official action, it was not an illegal action. https://codes.findlaw.com/us/title-18-crimes-and-criminal-procedure/18-usc-sect-201/