The "right-to-control theory" used by federal prosecutors "cannot form the basis for a conviction under federal fraud statutes,” Justice Clarence Thomas said in the unanimous opinion, with the high court also ruling on disputes related to the controversial Mountain Valley gas pipeline and to state mandates affecting interstate commerce.

Louis P. Ciminelli and other defendants convicted in pay-to-play scheme to steer them NY state contracts want US Supreme Court to overturn prosecutors' 'right to control' legal strategy, but that also could impact future bid-rigging cases, observers say.

Prosecutors target gains by sentenced upstate N.Y. bid-rig defendants

New York bid-rigging trial outcome exposed a big ethics loophole in state’s use of nonprofit entity to award contracts