Hush money
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hush money is an informal term for financial incentives or rewards offered in exchange for not divulging information.
Hush money can be offered for both criminal and non-criminal reasons, though the term is used more often in criminal situations, or in a derogatory sense.
Some notable examples:
Al Capone was renowned for the hush money he used to influence the Chicago police and other political figures in the 1920s.
Michael Jackson was alleged to give some of his accusers hush money in exchange for keeping their accusations private.
Richard Nixon aides were convicted of giving hush money to burglars involved in the Watergate scandal.
Jessica Hahn was given $265,000 in hush money so she wouldn't reveal that Jim Bakker had raped her.
Some characterize out of court settlements such as those made in the Roman Catholic sex abuse cases as a type of hush money.
Hush Money is also the title of:
- a 1921 silent film
- a 1931 comedy/drama featuring Joan Bennett, Myrna Loy, and George Raft
- a 1999 mystery novel by Robert B. Parker.
