Yes, it looked exactly like a bribe, and the commentators even pointed out that it looks fishy as they were trying to explain what was going on. However, I did not see the judges refuse the payment as you say. And yes, the world is soaked with so much paper, but they still rely on the USD as the go-to paper for the foreseeable future. If TSHTF, you'd better have some of it along with your precious metals and weapons and food.