What is the difference between Abramoff style bribery and regular

[Poiuyt]

donations and lobbying from PACs, etc. It seems like it's all bribery to me.

[theoldman]

1. The difference is in how you funnel the money.

There are legal channels for contributing money to a candidate or political party. Lets call it a legal way of bribing.

[Poiuyt]

6. I know it's legal and that the Supreme Court has said donating money is

free speech and all that. But it just doesn't seem right when a group like Big Tobacco or the NRA donates money to a Congressman and then (wink, wink) hopes they vote a certain way on bill X.

[Waya]

2. He got caught.........

:evilgrin:

[theoldman]

3. That is why he is so sorry for what he did.

[KittyWampus]

4. Quid Pro Quo & Funneling Money Illegally To Other Recipients

[Frank Cannon]

5. Donations, lobbying, PACS, etc., have SOME regulation...

but $$$$ outside of those sources are illegal, period. With all the legal means to "fund" politicians, one really has to go out of one's way to do it illegally...which would imply that there is something blatantly illegal about one's reason for doing such a thing.