11.   Money was not involved in the case of four Hasidic Jews from New Square, N.Y., but the clemency they obtained had the strong whiff of political payoff.

12.   Officials with state labor unions joined with the Democrats lawmakers in branding the planned job transfers a political payoff for loyal Republican areas.

13.   One of the most powerful business leaders in France spent a second night in jail Wednesday in a continuing investigation of political payoffs for construction projects in Lyons.

14.   Political payoff seems much closer to the mark.

15.   Repeal opponents, citing NRA contributions to Republican lawmakers, cast the debate as a political payoff to the controversial organization.

16.   Roy, in telling me the story, said it never bothered him that he was involved in a political payoff.

17.   Republicans argue that such programs amount to little more than political payoffs and egregious examples of pork-barrel favoritism for traditional Democratic constituencies like big cities.

18.   Sources in the Capitol said that even the most vehement Clinton defenders have voiced disgust for what appears to be a political payoff.

19.   The allegations closely follow a government inquiry into political payoffs.

20.   The case reflects a new emphasis by the SEC on cleaning up municipal finance, which has long been plagued by political payoffs and other forms of corruption.