The term bagman (or bag man) has different meanings in different countries.

One group of definitions centers on the idea of traveling. In British usage, "bagman" is a term for a traveling salesman, first known from 1808.[1] In Australian usage, it can mean a tramp or homeless man.[2][3]

However, many other definitions center around money. People involved in political fundraising, soliciting donations, or otherwise involved in the financial side of a political campaign may be referred to as a bagman. This usage has led to an expansion of meaning to include those who solicit bribes for public officials.[4][1]

In organized crime, a bagman may be involved in protection rackets or the numbers game, collecting or distributing the money involved. When acting as an intermediary in such activities, a bagman may also be called a delivery boy or running man, and may receive a fraction of the money collected.[1][5][6][7][8] Journalist Jack Shafer defines "bag man" as a slang term "for criminals who perform deliveries and run errands for other criminals."[9] In criminal operations involving disbursements of cash as illegal payments for some service, a bagman delivers the money, often cash, to the recipient, such as Fred LaRue in the Watergate scandal.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Definition of BAGMAN". Definition of Bagman by Merriam-Webster. 2019-06-24. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
  2. ↑ "Definition of bagman". www.dictionary.com. 2015-06-10. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
  3. ↑ "bagman (noun) definition and synonyms". Macmillan Dictionary. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
  4. ↑ "Bagman". Lexico Dictionaries | English. Archived from the original on October 31, 2019. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
  5. ↑ "Nigel Wright's role as party bagman deserves scrutiny: McQuaig". Toronto Star. 4 June 2013.
  6. ↑ "Iran and Argentina: The Defectors' Tale: O'Grady". The Wall Street Journal. 22 March 2015.
  7. ↑ "Inside the Cultish Dreamworld of Augusta National". The New Yorker. 2019-06-24. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
  8. ↑ Higgins, Jack; Robinson, Patrick (2019-10-31). "Bagman definition and meaning". Collins English Dictionary. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
  9. ↑ Shafer, Jack (18 April 2013). "Shameless paper in mindless fog". Reuters Blogs. Archived from the original on April 20, 2013.
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