Extortion: How Politicians Extract Your Money, Buy Votes, and Line Their Own Pockets - Paperback

by Peter Schweizer (Author)

"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.

Back Jacket

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.
[Author photo] (c) Becky Healy
Peter Schweizer is the president of the Government Accountability Institute and is the William J. Casey Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. He has served as a consultant to NBC News and to the White House Office of Presidential Speechwriting. He is the author of Throw Them All Out.

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Author Biography

Best-selling author of Throw Them All Out, PETER SCHWEIZER is president of the Government Accountability Institute and a fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution. He has written for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and elsewhere.