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Extortion: How Politicians Extract Your Money, Buy Votes, and Line Their Own Pockets
Paperback
General Political ScienceUnited States Politics
ISBN13: 9780544334557
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
Published: Oct 7 2014
Pages: 256
Weight: 0.45
Height: 0.70 Width: 5.40 Depth: 8.20
Language: English
Schweizer names guilty parties . . . He exposes powerful figures in politics, law firms, and corporations. -- Forbes
Washington is no longer about lawmaking, it's about moneymaking
Conventional wisdom holds that Washington is broken because outside special interests bribe politicians. The reverse is true: politicians have developed a new set of brass-knuckle legislative tactics designed to extort wealthy industries and donors into forking over big donations -- cash that lawmakers often funnel into the pockets of their friends and family.
Inside this best-selling bombshell of a book, Schweizer reveals the exorbitant secret fees each political party charges politicians for top committee assignments; how fourteen members of Congress bagged hundreds of thousands of dollars using a little-known self-loan loophole; how politicians use PACs to bankroll lavish lifestyles; and much more. Washington's extortion racket has gone unreported -- until now.
- Extortion, Not Bribery: Discover why the real scandal isn't special interests buying politicians, but politicians shaking down industries for protection money and campaign cash.
- Milker Bills and Tollbooths: Learn the brass-knuckle tactics politicians use to introduce threatening legislation--not to pass laws, but to squeeze millions from targeted donors.
- The Permanent Political Class: See how top lawmakers from both parties charge secret dues for powerful committee assignments and leverage their positions to enrich friends and family.
- From Votes to Cash: Uncover the shocking, legal ways members of Congress use PACs and a little-known self-loan loophole to funnel campaign donations directly into their own pockets.
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