Bribery/ Corrupt Influence becomes a 3rd Degree Felony when there is a threat to commit what?

• A. A treasonous act
• B. Theft
• C. A felony
• D. A threat to commit a felony

Answer: (D)

The main idea is that bribery or corrupt influence carries a higher penalty when it involves coercion. Specifically, if someone uses a threat to commit a felony to influence a public official’s actions, the offense escalates to a 3rd-degree felony. That threat shows deliberate coercion beyond a simple exchange of favors, which is what pushes the punishment into the higher category.

The other options don’t fit because they don’t introduce the coercive element that the statute uses to elevate the offense. A treasonous act or theft aren’t the triggering factors for this specific enhancement, and simply labeling something as a felony without the coercive threat doesn’t match the aggravated scenario described.