In the mafia, there is a name for what Pence and Barr did - CNN

As a federal organized crime prosecutor, I learned that the mafia uses a practice known as "kicking up" or "paying tribute" to the boss, and now a political version of it seems to be catching on within the Trump administration, writes Elie Honig...
https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/04/opinions/pence-barr-money-trumps-pocket-honig/index.html