Influence peddling is the illegal practice of using one's influence in government or connections with persons in authority to obtain favours or preferential treatment for another, usually in
return for payment. Also called
traffic of influence or
trading in influence. In fact, influence peddling is not necessarily illegal as the
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has often used the term "undue influence peddling" to refer to illegal acts of lobbying.
[1]However, influence peddling bears the stench of corruption that may de-legitimise democratic politics with the general public.