Presidential Payola

Book excerpt: Presidents with little oversight short of checks and balances have abused funding, misdirected money, misused personal funds, and misappropriated tax payer contributions for personal gain. This history of presidential monetary abuse details the biggest, often blatant, abuses of power where political influence was bought and sold, lucrative contract handed out to friends and political support is up for purchase. The tales are shocking examples of the oval office politicking gone wild and the damage it has done to the credibility of presidents. It also reveals, with more than 40 archival images, the sheer volume of tax payer money that goes awry for politicians’ personal gain with the presidential stamp on it or simply a purposeful presidential oversight.