Extortion

Synopsis

A bombshell investigation reveals how Washington really works: politicians extort money from us, then use it to buy each other's votes. Best-selling author Peter Schweizer reveals: *Obama's "Protection Money": How the Obama Administration targeted industries for criminal investigation but chose not to pursue key political donors. *John Boehner's "Tollbooth": How the Speaker of the House extracts money by soliciting political donations before he will hold crucial votes on the House floor. *The "Slush Fund": How politicians extract "campaign contributions" and then convert them to bankroll lavish lifestyles complete with limos, private jets, golf at five-star resorts, fine wines, and cash for family members. *Capitol Hill's "Underground Economy": How congressmen use a little-known loophole that allows them to secretly link their votes to cash. Extortion finally makes clear why Congress is so dysfunctional: it's all about making money, not making law.ut as guides to that very complexity. Worst of all, they use the recent innovation of "leadership PACs" to buy loyalty and votes. Our leaders no longer care about us; they care only about their war chests. Extortion is a bombshell of a book that reveals: * how both political parties maintain a secret dues list, forcing members of Congress to pay to maintain key leadership positions. * how those key leaders, in turn, use their positions to extort money from donors. * how leadership PACs are used to underwrite politicians' lifestyles and purchase each other's loyalties. * how the Department of Justice has radically expanded the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act to shake down key targets--while ignoring much more obvious targets on Wall Street. After naming names and revealing the shocking extent of the problem, Schweizer argues persuasively that we can do better. If Washington adopted some of the ethics laws that govern state politicians, we would be better off. If Congress outlawed leadership PACs, we would be better off. Most of all, if voters understand all the facts in Extortion, we ourselves can rise in revolt.

Copyright:

2013

Book Details

Book Quality:

Publisher Quality

ISBN-13:

9780544103306

Related ISBNs:

9780544103344

Publisher:

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Date of Addition:

08/26/14

Copyrighted By:

Peter Schweizer

Adult content:

No

Language:

English

Has Image Descriptions:

No

Categories:

Nonfiction, Politics and Government

Submitted By:

N/A

Usage Restrictions:

This is a copyrighted book.