Why is hush money even legal when blackmail and bribery aren't?

Question

Should offering, requesting, and/or paying hush money be illegal? Regardless of laws, how do you feel about it ethically? Do you feel a certain way about those that are involved in such arrangements?

Answer

Hush money is bribery…
You are bribing someone to stay quiet.

Answer

Hmmm. I suppose it’s related to whether the money is coerced or not as far as legality. 
It really depends on specifics as far as ethics are concerned. Hush money to cover the bad behavior of political figures is morally squicky. Especially if campaign contributions are illegally used…
I don’t have an issue with NDA’s providing a signing bonus to protect trade secrets or general privacy, provided they’re reasonable. 
I also get people paying off people to stay off media just for general privacy, not necessarily covering up anything bad. I saw an interview recently with Bruce Willis’s family and how they want people to not approach him in public due to his dementia diagnosis. I’m not implying they ever paid hush money, but I got the impression they tried to keep his diagnosis out of the public eye for a bit. That wouldn’t bother me if they had, not everything in celebrities lives has to be for public consumption.

Answer

I think the difference between hush money and bribery (or legal vs illegal) depends on if the money is used to influence a person in a position of power & public trust (government, police, courts, public officials).  
Cooking the books though…to hush your hush money…ya that’s illegal.
Ethically and morally…I think it really depends on the situation (outside of the public type officers mentioned above).  I mean…we use money to influence each other all the time eg. someone being offered a raise in order to retain them and instead of them quitting.  Outside of public officials..I think so long as the act in and of itself isn’t illegal…then…usually…whatever.

Answer

All of it seems dirty and unethical to me. Wouldn’t trust anyone involved in anything like that.

Answer

They could always not take the deal.. They take the deal, that is business. You can have this amouny of money to keep this to yourself, or you can not take the money and go and open your mouth. I am sure most take the money, its less of a hassle. But its a choice, they choose.

Answer

It’s like the band pussycat dolls 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Answer

I view hush money as a business agreement & blackmail as a threat/illegal. If you offer someone money to sign an NDA or whatever to stay quiet about something you did & they take it on their own free will I see no issue with that as they’re the one that voluntarily chose that outcome & to agree to stay silent. When someone is blackmailed it’s involuntary & done in a threatening manner, which is why people are against it.

Why is hush money even legal when blackmail and bribery aren't?

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