What's the term for a public official abusing his office for personal gain?

I don’t necessarily mean accepting a bribe, but rather something like, say, a city councilman successfully pressuring a police officer not to charge him when the cop has caught him in the commission of a crime. What would be the name of the criminal offense?

Graft?

I don’t know what the criminal charge would be.

I’m fairly sure that graft is the accepting (or soliciting) of bribes.

Malfeasence.

I just recently learned this actually:

In a position of trust:

Nonfeasence - Not doing what you’re supposed to.
Misfeasence - Screwing up what you’re supposed to do.
Malfeasence - Intentionally doing stuff you’re not supposed to / acting in bad faith.

A Blagoyeur, perhaps?

I think Transparency International would call this straight-up corruption, and an official engaged in it a corrupt public official. From their website: http://www.transparency.org/news_room/faq/corruption_faq#faqcorr1

I thought of corruption, but I was looking for a legal term. “Because he used his position as governor to shield himself from a legitimate criminal investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Skald the Rhymer was today convicted of charges including ____________.”

“oppression under color of office” has a nice ring to it.

I have found the answer, for Tennessee at least; it’s “official misconduct.”

Business as usual?

SOP

Incumbency.

finagling

Abuse of office is another legal term for this.

Corruption.

Influence peddling.

Obstruction of justice

I vote for this one, combined with abuse of influence. (Any person can interfere with police procedures and commit obstruction, but I think it is the closest.

Q. “What’s the term for a public official abusing his office for personal gain?”

A. Politics.