 The statutes differ in their jurisdictional elements , the mens rea that they require ( for example , a quid pro quo or a nexus ) , the species of official actions that are cognizable , whether or not non @-@ public official defendants can be prosecuted , and in the authorized sentence . The statutes most often used to prosecute public corruption are the Hobbs Act , Travel Act , RICO , the program bribery statute , and mail and wire fraud statutes . 
