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

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. 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... Until Now, Washington's Extortion Racket Has Gone Unreported. Yet Thanks To An Extraordinary Effort By Peter Schweizer And The Investigative Research Staff Of The Government Accountability Institute, We Now Know The Racketeering Methods And The Players Who Profit From Them. -- Dust Jacket. Argues That Politicians In Congress Are Extorting Money From Corporations And The People And Then Use It To Buy Each Other's Votes. Throw Fear -- America's Most Expensive Tollbooth -- Protection : For A Price -- The Underground Washington Economy -- The Double-milker : You May Not Be Interested In Washington, But Washington Is Interested In You -- Slush Funds -- Trust Me : You're Gonna Need To Pay Me -- Protection For A Price : What About The Washington Corrupt Practices Act? -- It's A Family Affair -- Protection For The Rest Of Us. Peter Schweizer. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 203-238) And Index. "Schweizer names guilty parties . . . He exposes powerful figures in politics, law firms, and corporations." #8212; 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 #8212; 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 #8212; until now