Breitbart News Senior Editor-at-Large and Government Accountability Institute President Peter Schweizer’s new bombshell book, Exortion: How Politicians Extract Your Money, Buy Votes, and Line Their Own Pockets, will debut next week at #8 on the New York Times bestseller list.
“In Extortion, I expose how Washington politicians use mafia-style legislative tactics to scare individuals and industries into paying ‘protection money’ in the form of campaign donations,” said Schweizer in an interview with Breitbart News. “It’s been amazing how many firestorms the book has already touched off in its first week of release.”
Schweizer appeared with CBS veteran reporter Steve Kroft on 60 Minutes last week to discuss revelations from his book and to expose how several members of Congress use their leadership PACs as “slush funds” to bankroll luxurious lifestyle perks such as world-class golf retreats, NFL tickets, and international travel and lodging at posh resorts. One week after Schweizer and Kroft’s investigation aired, Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) introduced a bill–the “Clean Campaign Contributions Act of 2013” (H.R. 3356)–to ban personal use of leadership PAC Money. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) also announced after the 60 Minutes program that he plans to back legislation reforming leadership PACs.
Extortion, which includes over 35 pages of source materials and over 600 endnotes, contains numerous revelations, including:
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How Democratic Congresswoman Grace Napolitano (D-CA) funneled at least $294,245 in campaign cash to herself by loaning her campaign money in 1998 at a staggering 18% interest rate and then letting the loan linger unpaid for 20 years
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Never-before-printed top secret “price lists,” known officially as “party dues,” that include the donation totals members of Congress must raise to land top committee spots and chairmanships
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How Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) bagged over $200,000 in donations from executives and companies prior to holding votes on three bills of critical importance to their industries–revelations that prompted Boehner spokesperson Brendan Buck to attack Schweizer and his book
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How President Barack Obama used a political extortion tactic known as a “double milker bill” to “milk” millions in donations by pitting Obama’s friends in Hollywood against his supporters in Silicon Valley to extract cash from both, as well as how Attorney General Eric Holder has increased Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement actions 65% over the previous administration in order to enrich his former employer and target Republicans
Extortion’s no-holds barred investigative style and meticulous research have won praise from across the political spectrum; voices as divergent as Gov. Sarah Palin to the New York Times editorial board have all praised Schweizer’s latest Washington blockbuster.
Extortion is Schweizer’s third New York Times bestseller. His last book, the New York Times bestseller Throw Them All Out, exposed insider trading by members of Congress and led to passage of the STOCK Act banning the practice.