Last year a former Illinois Secretary of State who had become governor was found to have converted $160,000 from his campaign fund to personal use. This $160,000 had been traced by the Feds to have been contributed by convicted felons who had operated a licenses for bribes operation out of the Secretary of State's office before he had become governor.
Much like Pontius Pilate, Ryan immediately attempted to wash his hands. He donated $160,000 to charity. The point is that under existing state law for the year 2001, the conversion of that cash was LEGAL. Although it seems that if had done that same conversion of campaign funds to personal use in 2002, it would not have been legal. It is a shell game, the corrupt politicians of both parties are continually altering the law to serve themselves.
In Hell there are of lot of former politicians like Paul Powell whining that they never had the luxury that these modern politicians had, that is, of making graft an acceptable and legal practice.
Yessir, I do. I have worked as a civil servant at the federal level and interact daily with city and county level bureaucrats. My brother is an official with a large city in New England.
If you define "corrupt" as being willing to use your power to do special favors for friends or family, then government is corrupt.
When you receive money in return for such favors, you are corrupt. And the majority of government does such things on a daily basis.
Carolyn