“What If The Problem In Washington Isn’t Bribery…But Extortion?”
“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 says Washington is broken because wealthy special interests bribe politicians. The truth is the reverse. As Peter Schweizer shows persuasively in this book, it is the politicians themselves who have developed a new set of brass-knuckle legislative tactics. They then use these tactics 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, first published in 2013, Schweizer reveals the exorbitant secret “fees” charged by each political party for top committee assignments. The book shows how fourteen members of Congress bagged hundreds of thousands of dollars using a little-known self-loan loophole. It describes how politicians use PACs to bankroll lavish lifestyles; and much more.
Washington’s extortion racket has gone unreported — until now. GAI researchers combed through congressional financial disclosures, stock transactions, and PAC expense forms to uncover the truth behind the Washington shake-down. Their research was unchallenged and factually accurate in all details.
This book prompted congressional self-scrutiny and resulted in passage of the STOCK Act, which requires members to report all their stock trades. The problems disclosed by the book have unfortunately not gone away. Members of Congress and their immediate families still trade on insider knowledge — they have just gotten more sneaky about how they do it.
EXTORTION remains as relevant today as it was when first published.
- Exposed systemwide congressional corruption
- Led to the resignations of congressmen
- Led to calls for reform by President Barack Obama and passage of the STOCK (“Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge) Act.
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For media inquiries and interview requests about Extortion, please contact publicist Sandy Schulz through email.