WASHINGTON – Washington has a lengthy and well-deserved status for double-dealing, and now in accordance with best-selling creator Peter Schweizer, the title of the recreation is altering.
"Politicians have gotten very clever about corruption," Schweizer informed CBN News.
"It's used to be they'd take money in a shoebox. They'd get a direct payoff," he mentioned. "Now what they're doing is basically setting up their family members or close friends."
Schweizer lays out his case in his new e book, Secret Empires, with well-researched examples that includes some big-name politicians.
"Vice president of the United States, Joe Biden, in December of 2013 is flying to Bejing, China, on Air Force II on official business," he mentioned. "On the plane is his son, Hunter Biden. Ten days after that trip, Hunter Biden walks away with a $1.5 billion private equity deal from the Chinese government."
As an fairness agency, that deal would not require public disclosure. Schweizer says it was discovered by investigating world capital markets. Aides to the Bidens dispute the accusation.
The e book additionally consists of revelations involving former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State John Kerry, senior Trump advisor Jared Kushner, former Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and left-wing billionaire George Soros – amongst others.
And it is not simply Democrats feeling the warmth.
"Corruption is a human problem," Schweizer famous. "It's a condition of the human heart. It's not an issue just related to Democrats and Republicans."
Schweizer exhibits that by together with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his spouse, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.
"So Elaine Chao's father and sister run a company that has its ships built by the Chinese government," he mentioned.
"The construction of those ships are financed by the Chinese government," Schweizer defined. "The crews are Chinese and many of the shipping contracts are with Chinese government entities. So they've made a lot of money with the help of the Chinese government."
Schweizer says a few of that cash got here to McConnell in the type of a present from his father-in-law, working someplace between $5 million and $25 million.
That, too, was by no means publicly disclosed.
"Here's the problem with all of this," Schweizer mentioned. "Sen. Mitch McConnell knows that if he were to take a harsh position on Beijing as it relates to human rights or trade policy or currency manipulation, they could shut down the family business tomorrow."
He says McConnell's report in Congress is telling.
"If you look at the policy positions of Sen. McConnell during the time that this commercial relationship blossomed, he's become progressively softer in his policy views toward China. It's extremely troubling," Schweizer informed CBN News.
McConnell's workplace calls these wild accusations not backed by credible sourcing.
Schweizer sees this idea as "corruption by proxy."
Essentially, lawmakers work out easy methods to legally maneuver round the guidelines.
Laws protecting the federal and legislative branches of presidency lay out inflexible rules about the presents politicians and their spouses can settle for.
Schweizer maintains these guidelines embrace potential loopholes that do not cowl kids and different members of the family.
One of Schweizer's large takeaways in the e book is that "corruption is upstream from policy."
"So what do I mean? If you've ever gone backpacking or camping and you want to drink out of a stream, you check upstream to make sure there's nothing toxic or poisonous that's being dumped in the stream above because it's going to poison the water you're drinking," he defined.
"Same thing in Washington, DC," he mentioned. "Corruption is upstream from policy. These corrupt deals are affecting the policies that we in this country have to live under."
He says the guidelines of the recreation want to vary, noting, "It's not a victimless crime."
And at the finish of the day, he says, the American folks should know.