Veteran political correspondant, Matt K. Lewis, has studied politicians and their use of political power to enrich themselves for decades. A recent article in The Atlantic estimated that President Trump has made over $3 billion while in office–mostly from his goofy, but lucrative, crypto business.
Filthy Rich Politicians shows how the political money games work, for both the Republicans and the Democrats. “Rich people get elected, and people, when elected, tend to get richer,” Lewis says. “Over time, it has gotten worse.”
Part of the problem is that the “guard-rails” of wealth acquisition in political office had been dismantled. Trump rid himself (and his political allies) of oversight by Inspector Generals…by firing them all.
And, it’s no surprise that Trump surrounded himself with billionaires by including them in his Cabinet. They have the opportunity to enrich themselves, too.
If you have an interest in political corruption–and what to do to fix it–Matt K. Lewis’ Filthy Rich Politicians provides a workable plan.
Do you have a “favorite” corrupt politician? GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Foreword by Batya Unger-Sargon — ix
Introduction — 1
The ruling class — 11
A rich history: Pre$idents from Washington to Biden — 18
Why the rich get elected — 29
Why the elected get rich — 45
All in the family: How politicians spread the wealth — 70
The lifestyle: Living large — 91
Latte liberals: Rich and privileged with influence — 102
Ivy League populists: Rich and privileged networks — 125
You can take it with you: The revolving door — 142
Don’t eat the rich — 160
Appendix: The Richest Twenty-Five Members of Congress — 181
The Ten Richest US Presidents — 181
Acknowledgements — 193
Notes — 197
Index — 235
About the Author — 243
The Bidens, the Clintons, Stacy Abrams, Obama, Pelosi, Maxine Waters, Nadler, Schiff, Blumenthal, Sanders, Schumer, Menendez, Yee, Calderon, and so many more! I’m listing mainly Democrats because I know my friends here with chime in with plenty of Republicans!
Bob, both the Democrats and Republicans benefit from their political/economic connections.
Schumer is possibly the worst example you could use, one of the few in Congress NOT to have enriched himself. But why let facts get in the way, right?
Favorite Democratic “crook”?
How about Edwin Edwards of Louisiana? Famous first for saying, “the only way I can lose this election is if I’m caught in bed with either a dead girl or a live boy,” whose won his fourth term as Governor by defeating the odious David Duke. His bumper stickers read “Vote for the Crook. It’s Important. “
Jeff, Edwin Edwards was blatant about his corruption. Apparently Louisiana voters admired that boldness.
Well, that and machine politics…and that the LA GOP was capable of nominating David Duke.
Biden has been in his whole career a back-room wheeler-dealer, who was a better president than I expected of him, but not great…but looked more impressive in comparison to the increasingly senile career criminal who preceded and succeeded him. For that matter, he was less bad than Bill Clinton, and probably a better influence on the Obama Admin than he’s been credited for. Neoliberals get on my nerves…but, unlike Drumpf and his crew, tend to be sane.
Todd, my father always told me, “Politics is a dirty game.” Truer words were never spoken…
Pity, George, that there are few games (in terms of careers) that utterly “clean”…where politics in the worst sense doesn’t play a role.
Well, there’s the little matter of Schumer having to pay $138,000 for taking excessive campaign contributions and failing to report expenditures.
I would have no problem enriching these jamokes if only the sins of bitches would just go away and leave us and the country alone — not a fair trade but one I could live with.
Sons. (although the other spelling may also be appropriate.
Jerry, sins or sons are certainly appropriate!
And some are daughters of jackasses.
Jerry, the Founding Fathers believed in Limited Government. Now, we have the opposite and are drowning in Debt and Malfeasance.
George, the Republicans believe in limited government when a Democrat is in office. Then it is all State’s Rights and “keep the intrusive federal government out of our business. ”
But now there is no area they don’t consider their (and Trump’s) business, including the use of the bathroom.
Hypocrites much?
Jeff, I noticed that, too. The Republicans are obsessed with the National Debt when they’re out of power. But once they get in…we get the $4 Trillion Debt of the Big Beautiful Bill!
Not exactly unknown in the Founders’ years, George.
In Texas, too many to choose from but all minor leaguers compared with Trump the Don.
Fred, you’re right about Trump. He can pull a lot of financial gimmicks that no other politician could get away with!
Power tends to corrupt. Surprise! “Elites” (almost always in terms of resources and too often in ruthlessness, and little else) protect their own privilege. Surprise!
Todd, while power tends to corrupt, most voters hate corruption. It’s a balancing act to be a politician with all the compromises necessary to stay in power.
Some voters hate corruption. Some potential voters use corruption as an excuse to Not Vote, which is a kind of irresponsible corruption on their part. But I can sympathize with the frustration.
Politicians, of course, need to realize that service might also mean Needing to find another career if they do their jobs well for however many terms they get. Going low for any reason, including narcissism as well as greed, means it’s really time for a new gig. I sympathize, as someone who keeps needing to find new gigs as corporate greed and incompetence keeps shooting my gigs out from under me and my coworkers.
Todd, a lot of political corruption could be eliminated if we had public funded Elections with spending caps. When the Supreme Court allowed unlimited (and secret) political funding, the whole enterprise was warped.
Perhaps the worst POS who has been POTUS thus far, even in comparison to Drumpf, Reagan and Nixon (who also had his sane moments, and at least had the good sense to resent the utterly rich, even if that didn’t stop him for taking their money and doing them favors), would be Andrew Jackson. But even Jackson was at least more intelligent than Drumpf…I’m not sure if we’ve had a more stupid pres thus far, even when taking into account Calvin Coolidge and Warren Harding. Woodrow Wilson rates high on the miserable POS list, as well. Thank goodness we pretend that several of these were Great, even given how little they actually did well…other than Jackson’s remarkable abilities at mass-murder.
Todd, while the U.S. has a long history of crooked politicians (and we don’t have a monopoly on political corruption) we’ve had some politicians who helped the Average Voter. Lyndon Baines Johnson passed Medicare, the Voting Right Act, and many more positive programs. Of course, Trump is destroying them now…
And Johnson sustained and intensified the Vietnam War, even against his better judgement…which in several ways undermined the good he could do. Johnson was, like Biden, a wheeler-dealer, and also was one of the few presidents who was not a child of wealth, and didn’t ever forget that.
Todd, from the many Vietnam War books I’ve read, the military sold LBJ a load of fiction about the “winning” of the war. Daily Body Counts and increasing costs of the war caused LBJ to withdraw from the 1968 Presidential Race.
No one could ever sensibly claim Yanks invented political corruption, George…it wasn’t a US citizen who noted “Power tends to corrput”, after all. But worshiping even our best presidents is Very Bad idea at all times, or any politician…while appreciating their good work and qualities is certainly worth doing, and hoping the good example continues. Amusing that Nixon was another child of less than great privilege, and how that was a deficit to both Johnson and Nixon in some ways, that they certainly felt even as they came to their presidencies.
Todd, of the many books I’ve read about Nixon, it’s clear he wanted power…not money. All of his political moves were calculated to increase his strength in Washington, D.C. and the World.
And, of course, the problem with Drumpf isn’t simply corruption, but that he is the most simon-pure malignant narcissist to have held the job since Andrew Jackson, and Jackson put his anti-humaity into a military career, which worked out well for him, while Drumpf has been a career criminal who has thrashed around in way that his similar but apparently less needy father didn’t feel the need to dream of.
It isn’t just being an entitled creature, such, as, say, John Kennedy or Nelson Rockefeller, but a lack of basic concern for other people in any notable way. Except as pawns or toys.
I genuinely don’t undersand how even an auntoritarian reactionary finds Drumpf trustworthy enough to give him any real power, even as The Best We Have at Hand.
Todd, Trump is easily manipulated. And, Trump is transactional. Anyone can move him to action if Trump sees it as a “deal.”
That Nixon’s corruption was not particularly financial in no way ennobles it, of course. Nixon and for that matter Johnson were very well off, indeed, by not too far into their political careers.
Yes, Drumpf has always been a fool, and such a clumsy embezzler that even his non-doomed-from-the-start enterprises have tended to collapse. But there are always more suckers to be fleeced.
Todd, there are always more suckers to be fleeced, but Trump manages to avoid justice on a regular basis…
He’s a cautious fool…he makes sure bribes are in place before the next round of graft,
He was, after all, a student of his father and Roy Cohn.
LBJ started the nanny state, cradle-to-grave welfare system that has plagued the country ever since!
Bob, Trump is shutting down the Nanny State and cradle-to-grave welfare systems. But, there will be consequences…
An authoritarian reactionary, that might be. An “auntathorian reactionary” would be the result of the realization of an old Isaac Asimov joke vignette, in which the Earth was overrun by an alien force of Gian Aunts.
Clearly, my innate spellchecking function has run out for the day. Too much from me on this one, anyway. Giant Aunts.
Did anyone mention the corrupt SCOTUS members?
I did, but only as part of Drumpf’s flunky retinue. Unless you mean those thrown into the SC before Drumpf began packing it.
Let’s not forget that Clarence Thomas perjured himself during his confirmation hearings.
Nor that Biden’s conducting of the hearings was atrociously clueless.