To take any improper step or action in order to influence any decision made by the officials.

Glenn Mitchell, a lawyer representing the dealers' association, denied that the group had taken any improper steps to prop up car prices artificially.

They had been led to take this improper step by fear of her parents, who, had the attachment been discovered, would, it was thought, have separated them for ever.

News organizations reported that Mr. Starr was investigating whether Mr. Jordan and the President took improper steps to hinder the lawsuit brought by Ms. Jones.

Promising an investigation of the diplomatic brouhaha, the American ambassador, Antonio O. Garza Jr., reassured the Mexicans, who are livid that the barrier is going up in the first place, that any improper step across the line was unintentional.

The independent counsel's office has been examining whether Mr. Landow took any improper steps to discourage Kathleen E. Willey, a former White House aide, from being truthful in a deposition she gave in Paula Corbin Jones's sexual harassment suit against Mr. Clinton.

His lawyer, Gerald L. Shargel, asked the judge for the minimum sentence, 15 months, arguing that Mr. Panchernikov was a hard-working man of integrity whose only crime was taking a few improper steps to cut through regulations he found onerous and reminiscent of the red tape in his native land.

The complaint accuses one of the defendants, Mr. Lugo, 54, of Coram, N.Y., of directing the unit to "create bogus documents and take other improper steps to convince states that various escheated funds belonged to clients of E.D.S. when, in truth and in fact, the funds did not."