Malfeasance in office

Legal term for abuse of the power of an office

Malfeasance in office, also known as misconduct in public office, is any unlawful conduct that is often grounds for a just cause removal of an elected official by statute or recall election, or additionally a crime in some jurisdictions. Malfeasance in office contrasts with "misfeasance in office", which is the commission of a lawful act, done in an official capacity, that improperly causes harm; and "nonfeasance in office", which is the failure to perform an official duty. An exact definition of malfeasance in office is difficult: many highly regarded secondary sources (such as books and commentaries) compete over its established elements based on reported cases.

From Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA. More on occurri.