Part Of The Human Condition?

If you want something done in Iraq or Pakistan or Afghanistan or most any third world country, you arrange to gift an official an appropriate sum.  ”OMG”, most Americans would say.  Graft and corruption have no place in government.  Hmmm.

A story appearing today in the Philadelphia Inquirer once again shows what happens in first world countries.  One never greases the officials palm, one looks for a conduit instead.  How about the official’s spouse or family member?

Pennsylvania’s latest example involves a Supreme Court Justice whose wife is both a lawyer and on the Justice’s staff.  The newspaper reported she received a $800,000+ payment for referring a client to a large law firm.  The law firm does represent clients before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.  Hmmm.

Referrals are a common and accepted practice in Pennsylvania.  In every day law practice this type of “finders” fee seems acceptable if the participants agree.  But as describe in this article, is seems merely a sophisticated method of greasing a palm.  (Of course, not everything we see is what we think it is…)

The irony this example makes is that we form our opinions of officials largely based upon issues…  Is this person for gun control or not?  Is this person likely to help unions or not?  Is this person fiscally conservative or not?  Most of us work hard at trying to choose the best candidate.  Hmmm.

All the while, in the background, the business of influence purrs quietly.

For my money, this would be a great place for moderates and centrists to place the corner stone for the party they wish to see emerge.

 

Explore posts in the same categories: Barack Obama, Democratic Party, Politics, Republican Party

Tags: ethics, influence peddling, pennsylvania, pennsylvania supreme court, philadelphia inquirer

You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.