It’s not that there isn’t any political corruption in the U.S. government, only that sex scandals generally steal the limelight from political ones, which seem to go unnoticed by the U.S. population.
Unlike Spain, where any case of political corruption is widely covered by the media, in the United States this kind of case must be huge and affect key figures to have nationwide repercussion, according to Peter DeLeon, an expert in political corruption at the University of Denver.
In his book, “Thinking About Political Corruption,” DeLeon confirms that “the majority of political corruption cases in the United States have to do with bribery and patronage.” In the world’s largest economy, “influence peddling is rampant,” said DeLeon. “Money is frequently exchanged for favors. Or for access.”*
The “access” DeLeon refers to is the phenomenon by which large sums of money are given in exchange for getting to meet or have contact with key figures in government, finance and international sectors.
In fact, even the president of the United States has bought into the practice on numerous occasions. To raise funds for his political campaign, Obama has organized several evenings with businessmen and anyone else willing to pay thousands of dollars to dine with him. Last September, the president felt that the appropriate price for an evening in his company was $35,000 (about 26,600 Euros).
But he isn’t the first American politician who has used the practice, considered unethical by several focus groups. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton also organized evenings to raise funds to repay the debt that his wife, Hillary, accrued during her political campaign in 2008.
*Editor’s note: These quotes, while accurately translated, could not be verified.
“…sex scandals generally steal the limelight from political ones…”
Indeed! Bill Clinton was impeached for his sins, not his crimes.