The U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority on Wednesday held that a federal law criminalizing bribery does not cover officials who receive cash “gratuities” for their past acts in office, a victory for an ex-Indiana mayor who was paid $13,000 by a company to whom he had just awarded a lucrative garbage truck contract.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote the court’s 6-3 decision in Snyder v. United States, which prompted dissents from the court’s three liberal justices. In his majority opinion, Kavanaugh said Section 666 of Title 18 of the U.S. Code applies only to “bribes to state and local officials,” not payments for “past official acts.” The law carries up to 10 years in prison.