Lobbying

Five years ago a Supreme Court ruling lifted a ban on sports betting. New York Times reporter Eric Lipton tells of the lobbying, favorable deals, partnerships and human impact following that decision.

New York Times reporter Ken Vogel says that Paul Manafort engaged in illegal lobbying to burnish the image of Viktor Yanukovych, the authoritarian president of Ukraine.

New York Times reporter David Kirkpatrick explains the connection between the Mueller Investigation and efforts by the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to influence U.S. international policy.

Atlantic journalist Franklin Foer says before Manafort became Trump's campaign manager, he rewrote the rules of lobbying and then became entangled in the world of dictators, oligarchs and dirty money.

New York Times reporter Nicholas Confessore explains how Trump's election was a boon to those with access to the president. "If you had a Trump connection, you could write your own ticket," he says.

Eric Lipton of The New York Times says lobbyists now working for the government are leading a regulatory roll back that is benefiting the industries they used to represent.

Mixing judges with campaign contributions can lead to conflicts of interest. Fresh Air talks to retired Judge Sue Bell Cobb and the Center for American Progress' Billy Corriher.

In 2006, Oregon successfully made pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient of meth, a prescription drug. Since then, Mother Jones' Jonah Engle reports, 24 states have tried to follow suit -- and 23 have failed. Engle attributes those failures to pharmaceutical companies' massive lobbying efforts.

In Private Empire, investigative journalist Steve Coll explains how Exxon Mobil has used its money and power to wind significant influence in Washington, D.C., concerning issues like climate change.

Chances are you've never heard of Charles and David Koch. The brothers, worth billions, are major industrialists and generous philanthropists. But in Washington, as Jane Mayer writes in the Aug. 30 New Yorker, they're "best known as part of a family that has repeatedly funded stealth attacks on the federal government, and on the Obama administration in particular."

Political scientist James Thurber discusses the role of lobbyists in the McCain and Obama campaigns. An expert in campaign conduct and lobbying, Thurber testified before Congress about lobby reform and advised both candidates on the 2007 lobbying reform bill.

Congressional reform of the lobbying system is nettled by competing agendas and concerns over freedom of speech. But in the wake of the Jack Abramoff scandal, the discussion has become more heated. James Thurber is an expert on politics and lobbying who has testified before Congress.

The lobbying scandal that engulfed the career of Jack Abramoff and threatens that of Rep. Tom DeLay was first reported two years ago, by reporter Susan Schmidt. Her colleague, R. Jeffrey Smith, is covering the DeLay angle of the story.

Alex Knott, a political editor at the nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, produced the research, which details the expenses shouldered by federal contractors, lobbyists and other groups. Knott covers politics and lobbying at the Center for Public Integrity, which researches and reports on public policy issues.

Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi, has a lot of experience
rounding upevotes for Republican legislation. He's the former Senate majority
leader and former House and Senate whip. He's also the author of a new memoir,
"Herding Cats."

The investigation of former lobbyist Jack Abramoff has taken many twists and turns. As investigators gauge the extent of Abramoff's influence with lawmakers of both parties, an associate of Abramoff's has pled guilty to conspiracy. Reporter Philip Shenon has been covering the case for The New York Times.

TV critic David Bianculli looks at the new HBO drama, K Street. Produced by George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh, it premiered last night.

Journalist Osha Gray Davidson. His book Under Fire: The NRA and The Battle For Gun Control is now available in paperback. He talks about the recent NRA convention and what it says about the direction of the group.

Former president of the public affairs non-partisan lobbying group Common Cause, Fred Wertheimer. As president of the organization, Wertheimer led the charge for campaign finance reform, the banning of special-interest honoraria for members of Congress, and a lobby disclosure law. Wertheimer stepped down earlier this year after 14 years as President. He's been called "the capital's most vocal crusader for reforming the political system" by The Wall Street Journal.

Journalist Steven Waldman is National Correspondent for Newsweek. His new book "The Bill" follows Bill Clinton's plan to revamp the college loan system, from idea to implementation. Clinton first talked about his plan during the presidential campaign, and once he was in the White House, work began on what became AMERICORPS.