18 USC Ch. 41 EXTORTION AND THREATS
18 USC Ch. 41 EXTORTION AND THREATS
AMENDMENTS
2000—Pub. L. 106–544, §2(b)(2), Dec. 19, 2000, 114 Stat. 2715, struck out "protected by the Secret
Service" after "other persons" in item 879.
1994—Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXII, §320601(a)(2), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2115, added item 880.
1982—Pub. L. 97–297, §1(b), Oct. 12, 1982, 96 Stat. 1317, added item 879.
1976—Pub. L. 94–467, §9, Oct. 8, 1976, 90 Stat. 2001, added item 878.
1962—Pub. L. 87–829, §2, Oct. 15, 1962, 76 Stat. 956, substituted "and successors to the Presidency" for
", President-elect, and Vice President" in item 871.
1955—Act June 1, 1955, ch. 115, §2, 69 Stat. 80, inserted "President-elect, and Vice President" in item
871.
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1982—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 97–297 inserted ", to kidnap," after "containing any threat to take the life of".
1962—Pub. L. 87–829 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), extended the provisions of such
subsection to include any other officer next on the order of succession to the office of President and the
Vice-President-elect, added subsec. (b), and substituted "and successors to the Presidency" for
", President-elect, and Vice President" in section catchline.
1955—Act June 1, 1955, included in section catchline and in text, provision for penalties for threats
against the President-elect and the Vice President.
SHORT TITLE OF 2000 AMENDMENT
Pub. L. 106–544, §1, Dec. 19, 2000, 114 Stat. 2715, provided that: "This Act [amending sections 879, 3056
and 3486 of this title, repealing section 3486A of this title, and enacting provisions set out as notes under
section 3056 of this title, section 551 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, and section 566 of
Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure] may be cited as the 'Presidential Threat Protection Act of
2000'."
§873. Blackmail
Whoever, under a threat of informing, or as a consideration for not informing, against any violation of any law of the
United States, demands or receives any money or other valuable thing, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not
more than one year, or both.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 740; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, §330016(1)(I), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.)
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(b) Whoever, with intent to extort from any person any money or other thing of value, so deposits, or causes to be
delivered, as aforesaid, any communication containing any threat to kidnap any person or any threat to injure the
person of the addressee or of another, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.
(c) Whoever knowingly so deposits or causes to be delivered as aforesaid, any communication with or without a
name or designating mark subscribed thereto, addressed to any other person and containing any threat to kidnap any
person or any threat to injure the person of the addressee or of another, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not
more than five years, or both. If such a communication is addressed to a United States judge, a Federal law
enforcement officer, or an official who is covered by section 1114, the individual shall be fined under this title,
imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both.
(d) Whoever, with intent to extort from any person any money or other thing of value, knowingly so deposits or
causes to be delivered, as aforesaid, any communication, with or without a name or designating mark subscribed
thereto, addressed to any other person and containing any threat to injure the property or reputation of the addressee
or of another, or the reputation of a deceased person, or any threat to accuse the addressee or any other person of a
crime, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both. If such a communication is
addressed to a United States judge, a Federal law enforcement officer, or an official who is covered by section 1114,
the individual shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 741; Pub. L. 91–375, §6(j)(7), Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 777; Pub. L. 103–322, title
XXXIII, §§330016(1)(G), (H), (K), 330021(2), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147, 2150; Pub. L. 107–273, div. C, title I,
§11008(d), Nov. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 1818.)
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Whoever knowingly so deposits as aforesaid, any communication, for the purpose aforesaid, containing any threat to
kidnap any person or any threat to injure the person of the addressee or of another, shall be fined under this title or
imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
Whoever, with intent to extort from any person any money or other thing of value, knowingly so deposits as
aforesaid, any communication, for the purpose aforesaid, containing any threat to injure the property or reputation of
the addressee or of another, or the reputation of a deceased person, or any threat to accuse the addressee or any
other person of a crime, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 741; Pub. L. 91–375, §6(j)(8), Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 777; Pub. L. 103–322, title
XXXIII, §§330016(1)(G), (H), (K), 330021(2), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147, 2150.)
AMENDMENTS
1996—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 104–132, §705(a)(4), struck out "by killing, kidnapping, or assaulting a foreign
official, official guest, or internationally protected person" before "shall be fined".
Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 104–132, §721(e)(1), inserted " 'national of the United States'," before "and 'official
guest' ".
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Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 104–132, §721(e)(2), inserted first sentence and struck out former first sentence
which read as follows: "If the victim of an offense under subsection (a) is an internationally protected
person, the United States may exercise jurisdiction over the offense if the alleged offender is present
within the United States, irrespective of the place where the offense was committed or the nationality of
the victim or the alleged offender."
1994—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–322, §330016(1)(K), substituted "fined under this title" for "fined not
more than $5,000".
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 103–322, §330016(1)(N), substituted "fined under this title" for "fined not more than
$20,000".
Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 103–272 substituted "section 46501(2) of title 49" for "section 101(38) of the Federal
Aviation Act of 1958, as amended (49 U.S.C. 1301(38))".
1978—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 95–504 substituted reference to section 101(38) of the Federal Aviation Act
of 1958 for reference to section 101(35) of such Act.
1977—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 95–163 substituted reference to section 101(35) of the Federal Aviation Act
of 1958 for reference to section 101(34) of such Act.
shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.
(b) As used in this section—
(1) the term "immediate family" means—
(A) with respect to subsection (a)(1) of this section, the wife of a former President during his lifetime, the widow
of a former President until her death or remarriage, and minor children of a former President until they reach
sixteen years of age; and
(B) with respect to subsection (a)(2) and (a)(3) of this section, a person to whom the President, President-elect,
Vice President, Vice President-elect, or major candidate for the office of President or Vice President—
(i) is related by blood, marriage, or adoption; or
(ii) stands in loco parentis;
(2) the term "major candidate for the office of President or Vice President" means a candidate referred to in
subsection (a)(7) of section 3056 of this title; and
(3) the terms "President-elect" and "Vice President-elect" have the meanings given those terms in section 871(b)
of this title.
(Added Pub. L. 97–297, §1(a), Oct. 12, 1982, 96 Stat. 1317; amended Pub. L. 98–587, §3(a), Oct. 30, 1984, 98 Stat.
3111; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, §330016(1)(H), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147; Pub. L. 106–544, §2(a), (b)(1),
Dec. 19, 2000, 114 Stat. 2715.)
AMENDMENTS
2000—Pub. L. 106–544, §2(b)(1), struck out "protected by the Secret Service" after "other persons" in
section catchline.
Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 106–544, §2(a)(1)–(4), in par. (3), substituted "a member of the immediate family"
for "the spouse", added par. (4), and, in concluding provisions, struck out "who is protected by the Secret
Service as provided by law," before "shall be fined" and substituted "5 years" for "three years".
Subsec. (b)(1)(B). Pub. L. 106–544, §2(a)(5), in introductory provisions, inserted "and (a)(3)" after
"subsection (a)(2)" and substituted "Vice President-elect, or major candidate for the office of President or
Vice President" for "or Vice President-elect".
1994—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–322 substituted "fined under this title" for "fined not more than $1,000" in
concluding provisions.
1984—Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 98–587 substituted "subsection (a)(7) of section 3056 of this title" for "the first
section of the joint resolution entitled 'Joint resolution to authorize the United States Secret Service to
furnish protection to major Presidential or Vice Presidential candidates', approved June 6, 1968 (18 U.S.C.
3056 note)".
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TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS
For transfer of the functions, personnel, assets, and obligations of the United States Secret Service,
including the functions of the Secretary of the Treasury relating thereto, to the Secretary of Homeland
Security, and for treatment of related references, see sections 381, 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6,
Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of November 25,
2002, as modified, set out as a note under section 542 of Title 6.
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