But as the senate could not with any decency refuse to lend their aid in suppressing this corrupt practice, they pretended that the law of Cornelius was so severe that no accusers would come forward, and no judges would condemn a criminal. They therefore made the consuls bring forward a less stringent law (Lex Atilia Calpurnia), imposing a fine on the offender, with exclusion from the senate and all public offices.
In order to maintain social harmony, they pretended that the Cornelius law was so severe that no one would dare accuse or convict a criminal. As a result, they introduced a milder law (Lex Atilia Calpurnia), which imposed penalties on the offender, excluding them from holding public office and the senate.