§ 77. Unlawful fees and payments. A member of the legislature or any officer or employee of the legislature who asks or receives or consents or agrees to receive any emolument, gratuity or reward or any promise of emolument, gratuity or reward or any money, property or thing of value or of personal advantage, except such as may be authorized by law, for doing or omitting to do any official act, or for performing or omitting to perform any act whatsoever directly or indirectly related to any matter in respect to which any duty or discretion is by or in pursuance of law imposed upon or vested in him, or may be exercised by him by virtue of his office, or appointment or employment or his actual relation to the matter including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, approving or promoting the passage of legislation or resolutions or the confirmation of appointees, or the conduct of investigations, and a person who shall directly or indirectly offer or make such a transfer to any member of the legislature or any officer or employee of the legislature shall be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than ten years or by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars, or both.