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If all Sessions does is stop it, the next Democratic administation will be back in business the moment it takes over. DOJ needs to establish appropriate regulations and institutionalize transparency including public disclosure and formal notification of Congress on both sides of the aisle. Perhaps the practice should be prohibited entirely, both by regulation and statute. That seems the best course to me, but I don't know the history and don't have context.

In the meantime, the feds should aggressively audit every penny involved in these payoffs. The paperwork would surely have defined a public purpose for which the funds were received. A proper forensic audit should cost these groups three times the amount they received, and if a nickle is unaccounted for, or went to improper purposes, people should go to jail. After spending five years of their lives battling the process, and being bankrupted hiring lawyers. This is how the left practices lawfare, and the left should get a taste of its own medicine.

Thinking about it more, Sessions should probably appoint an independent counsel to pursue this investigation. It will be a large undertaking, politically sensitive from the start, and enormously consumptive of the time and energy of whoever runs it. That's one of the reasons Republicans don't play for blood; they want to do their jobs and move an agenda, not pursue vendettas, so they close the books too soon and move on. The criminals skate, and by now the Democrats believe they will never be held accountable. That said, Sessions has other fish to fry. An aggressive independent counsel is the answer.

The investigation should also not overlook government employees. It should pursue any evidence of collusion between DOJ political appointees, career staff, and Members of Congress. The issue here should be characterized from the outset as DOJ running an extortion racket to generate political kickbacks. Any participation in this would be grounds for termination and possibly loss of benefits for career DOJ staff, as well as potential criminal prosecution.

The first step would be announcing the investigation and sending a notification requiring records retention to all individuals and organizations potentially involved. This would include relevant communications with Members of Congress. Failure to preserve relevant records would of course be actionable in and of itself. It would be appropriate to send an explanatory letter to all Members of Congress, as well as past Members, outlining the purposes of the investigation, assuring them that this is not a mere fishing expedition, encouraging full cooperation, and warning of missteps that could be construed as obstruction of justice.

If found guilty, perps should do at least some jail time. Drain the swamp. And kill the swamp critters.

If anyone has an in with someone in the administration, pass it along.