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The termbagman (orbag 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.[1] In Australian usage, it can mean a tramp or homeless man.[2][3]
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.[4][1]
Inorganized crime, a bagman may be involved inprotection rackets or thenumbers game, collecting or distributing the money involved. When acting as an intermediary in such activities, a bagman may also be called adelivery boy orrunning man, and may receive a fraction of the money collected.[1][5][6][7][8] JournalistJack Shafer defines "bag man" as a slang term "for criminals who perform deliveries and run errands for other criminals".[9] In criminal operations involving disbursements of cash as illegal payments for some service, a bagman delivers the money, often cash, to the recipient, such asFred LaRue in theWatergate scandal.
