The term bagman (or bag man) has different meanings in different countries.
One group of definitions centers on the idea of traveling. In British usage, "bagman" is a term for a traveling salesman, first known from 1808. In Australian usage, it can mean a tramp or homeless man.
However, many other definitions center around money. People involved in political fundraising, soliciting donations, or otherwise involved in the financial side of a political campaign may be referred to as a bagman. This usage has led to an expansion of meaning to include those who solicit bribes for public officials.
In organized crime, a bagman may be involved in protection rackets or the numbers game, collecting or distributing the money involved. When acting as an intermediary in such activities, a bagman may also be called a delivery boy or running man, and may receive a fraction of the money collected. Journalist Jack Shafer defines "bag man" as a slang term "for criminals who perform deliveries and run errands for other criminals". In criminal operations involving disbursements of cash as illegal payments for some service, a bagman delivers the money, often cash, to the recipient, such as Fred LaRue in the Watergate scandal.
See also
References
"Definition of BAGMAN". Definition of Bagman by Merriam-Webster. 2019-06-24. Retrieved 2019-10-31. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bagman ↩
"Definition of bagman". www.dictionary.com. 2015-06-10. Retrieved 2019-10-31. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/bagman ↩
"bagman (noun) definition and synonyms". Macmillan Dictionary. Retrieved 2019-10-31. https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/bagman ↩
"Bagman". Lexico Dictionaries. Archived from the original on October 31, 2019. Retrieved 2019-10-31. https://web.archive.org/web/20191031110333/https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/bagman ↩
"Definition of BAGMAN". Definition of Bagman by Merriam-Webster. 2019-06-24. Retrieved 2019-10-31. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bagman ↩
"Definition of BAGMAN". Definition of Bagman by Merriam-Webster. 2019-06-24. Retrieved 2019-10-31. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bagman ↩
"Nigel Wright's role as party bagman deserves scrutiny: McQuaig". Toronto Star. 4 June 2013. https://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2013/06/04/nigel_wrights_role_as_party_bagman_deserves_scrutiny_mcquaig.html ↩
"Iran and Argentina: The Defectors' Tale: O'Grady". The Wall Street Journal. 22 March 2015. https://www.wsj.com/articles/mary-anastasia-ogrady-iran-and-argentina-the-defectors-tale-1427065218 ↩
"Inside the Cultish Dreamworld of Augusta National". The New Yorker. 2019-06-24. Retrieved 2019-10-31. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/06/24/inside-the-cultish-dreamworld-of-augusta-national ↩
Higgins, Jack; Robinson, Patrick (2019-10-31). "Bagman definition and meaning". Collins English Dictionary. Retrieved 2019-10-31. https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/bagman ↩
Shafer, Jack (18 April 2013). "Shameless paper in mindless fog". Reuters Blogs. Archived from the original on April 20, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130420042629/http://blogs.reuters.com/jackshafer/2013/04/18/shameless-paper-in-mindless-fog/ ↩