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The Wolves of K Street: The Secret History of How Big Money Took Over Big Government
Two veteran investigative journalists trace the rise of the modern lobbying industry through the three dynasties—one Republican, two Democratic—that have enabled corporate interests to infiltrate American politics and undermine our democracy.
On K Street, a few blocks from the White House, you’ll find the offices of the most powerful men in Washington. In the 1970s, the city’s center of gravity began to shift away from elected officials in big marble buildings to a handful of savvy, handsomely paid operators who didn’t answer to any fixed constituency.
The cigar-chomping son of a powerful Congressman, an illustrious political fixer with a weakness for modern art, a Watergate-era dirty trickster, the city’s favorite cocktail party host…these were the sorts of men who now ran Washington. Over four decades, they’d chart new ways to turn their clients’ cash into political leverage, abandoning favor-trading in smoke-filled rooms for increasingly sophisticated tactics like “shadow lobbying,” where underground campaigns sparked seemingly organic public outcries to pressure lawmakers into taking actions that would ultimately benefit corporate interests rather than the common good. With billions of dollars at play, these lobbying dynasties enshrined in Washington a pro-business consensus that would guide the country’s political leaders—Democrats and Republicans alike—allowing companies to flourish even as ordinary Americans buckled under the weight of stagnant wages, astronomical drug prices, unsafe home loans, and digital monopolies. A good lobbyist could kill even a piece of legislation supported by the president, both houses of Congress, and a majority of Americans.
Yet, nothing lasts forever. Amidst a populist backlash to the soaring inequality these lobbyists helped usher in, Washington’s pro-business alliance suddenly began to unravel. And while new ways for corporations to control the federal government would emerge, the men who’d once built K Street found themselves under legal scrutiny and on the verge of financial collapse. One had his namesake firm ripped away by his own colleagues. Another watched his business shut down altogether. One went to prison. And one was found dead behind the 18th green of an exclusive golf club, with a bottle of $1,500 wine at his feet and a bullet in his head.
A dazzling and infuriating portrait of fifty years of corporate influence in Washington, The Wolves of K Street is a masterpiece of narrative nonfiction—irresistibly dramatic, spectacularly timely, explosive in its revelations, and absolutely impossible to put down.
On K Street, a few blocks from the White House, you’ll find the offices of the most powerful men in Washington. In the 1970s, the city’s center of gravity began to shift away from elected officials in big marble buildings to a handful of savvy, handsomely paid operators who didn’t answer to any fixed constituency.
The cigar-chomping son of a powerful Congressman, an illustrious political fixer with a weakness for modern art, a Watergate-era dirty trickster, the city’s favorite cocktail party host…these were the sorts of men who now ran Washington. Over four decades, they’d chart new ways to turn their clients’ cash into political leverage, abandoning favor-trading in smoke-filled rooms for increasingly sophisticated tactics like “shadow lobbying,” where underground campaigns sparked seemingly organic public outcries to pressure lawmakers into taking actions that would ultimately benefit corporate interests rather than the common good. With billions of dollars at play, these lobbying dynasties enshrined in Washington a pro-business consensus that would guide the country’s political leaders—Democrats and Republicans alike—allowing companies to flourish even as ordinary Americans buckled under the weight of stagnant wages, astronomical drug prices, unsafe home loans, and digital monopolies. A good lobbyist could kill even a piece of legislation supported by the president, both houses of Congress, and a majority of Americans.
Yet, nothing lasts forever. Amidst a populist backlash to the soaring inequality these lobbyists helped usher in, Washington’s pro-business alliance suddenly began to unravel. And while new ways for corporations to control the federal government would emerge, the men who’d once built K Street found themselves under legal scrutiny and on the verge of financial collapse. One had his namesake firm ripped away by his own colleagues. Another watched his business shut down altogether. One went to prison. And one was found dead behind the 18th green of an exclusive golf club, with a bottle of $1,500 wine at his feet and a bullet in his head.
A dazzling and infuriating portrait of fifty years of corporate influence in Washington, The Wolves of K Street is a masterpiece of narrative nonfiction—irresistibly dramatic, spectacularly timely, explosive in its revelations, and absolutely impossible to put down.
621 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 7, 2024
305 people are currently reading
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
December 7, 2024
This was disturbing, and it is only scratching the surface of lobbying world in DC. Wolves of K Street are as despicable as “The Wolf of Wall Street”. What is more appalling is I live in the same geography with few of the eight influence peddlers Mullins bros track in here although they seem to be living in a parallel universe. While I’m taking the metro to DC one of these could not fit his two Porches to the driveway or his large luxury yacht to the marina while sipping wine or whiskey from multiple thousand dollar bottles. I couldn’t care less if they weren’t messing with builtin checks and balances in the democratic system. Their sheer greed is ruining lives of millions while they’re milking both sides say on healthcare or energy or environmental policy; just good old boys cutting deals in private golf clubs. Where does the good democracy go if few greedy lawyers can swing significant public policies nothing but just for a few more dollars…
May 22, 2024
Great history of influence peddling. The characters in this book are out of this world yet real people we all know from the news. This book is informative and entertaining. In depth reporting at the highest level.
A fantastic listen. I found myself volunteering to run errands just to listen in the car.
A fantastic listen. I found myself volunteering to run errands just to listen in the car.
November 10, 2025
3.5. I’d say this would be on the Intro to Poli Com syllabus but I fear some gw students would read this as a how-to… certainly very well researched but adding to the long list of books that wish they were Dark Money.
April 16, 2025
This was a very informative and fun to read book. Provided a great history of some of the biggest players in lobbying and are still relevant today. The writing is interesting and keeps you engaged. I would have preferred not to have some of the commentary from the writers and rather let the facts speak for themselves. This is a must read for anyone who wants to go into politics and learn from some of the brightest minds in the field about how to be successful.
June 16, 2025
Exceptionally well researched and detailed account of how lobbying has evolved throughout the years
January 2, 2025
An incredibly compelling investigation of the outsized influence of lobbying in government. Truly an engaging read!
June 11, 2024
I read 196 pages of this book and could go no further. I was mired down in totally uninteresting detail. Approximately eight major players were mentioned in this book over and over and over and it would’ve really been helpful to have had some pictures of these people to help to humanize them. Therefore, one star.
September 26, 2024
Really fantastic look into lobbying in DC and it's evolution and corruption over time. Well written and managed to stay non-political and objective on what might be the most political topic of all time. The book was well researched and is engaging and page turning.
October 2, 2024
Great, but disturbing book.
October 21, 2024
Good book, easy to read, and interesting. Not sure it needed to make a point/conclusion.
December 7, 2024
Loved this history of lobbying. If you know DC politics and the legal community, this is a page-turner.
January 8, 2025
Interesting topic but bogged down by uninteresting details
February 2, 2025
Well paced, good narrative structuring, and genuinely interesting. Relatedly, a Paul Manafort movie is beginning to seem inevitable.
December 23, 2025
One of the best books I have read this year. Explains the current state of affairs in dc with the pace of a novel. Could not recommend enough
September 21, 2025
we think we know…we don’t.
Everyone says that Washington is run by big business, but until you read this book it is hard to truly grasp how much of not only Washington but all of this country is bought and paid for by big businesses. To be better informed is to hopefully allow us to better think for ourselves. Certainly worth a read.
Everyone says that Washington is run by big business, but until you read this book it is hard to truly grasp how much of not only Washington but all of this country is bought and paid for by big businesses. To be better informed is to hopefully allow us to better think for ourselves. Certainly worth a read.
June 28, 2024
A very interesting book I decided to pick up at random while visiting the book store. Normally, I am not into non-fiction, especially not of the political variety, but the title immediately stood out to me because I have long suspected the current US government is a corporate puppet that largely exists to impose and enforce legislation which benefits the extremely wealthy at the expense of everyone else. If that sort of thing is your cup of tea, I would highly recommend this book, especially since it has only been out for a few months now, and is particularly relevant to the current situation in Washington. Brody and Luke Mullins have done very extensive and exhaustive work and compiled over 70 years of US lobbying history into an easy to digest, enjoyable read, even for non-political people like me. That said, definitely give this book a look if you want to learn how the US federal government came to be the way it currently is.
September 1, 2024
This book had some fascinating stories but was way too long. It talks about the rise of lobbying in the second half of the twentieth century, focusing on key figures like Podesta, Boggs, and Manafort. There were some interesting changes that took place during this time, including the shift from lobbyists appealing directly to lawmakers through backroom deals to lobbyists attempting to change public opinion on issues, influencing lawmakers via increased pressure from constituents. It’s not exactly news that business leaders and Congressional representatives coordinate with one another, but seeing the extent of it was still surprising. The lobbyists work with some certain foreign governments also caught my eye.
All of that said, I think this book should have been shorter. I lost steam towards the end as the stories began to blend together and share common themes. This was the main reason why I’d say the book was not great but still enjoyable.
All of that said, I think this book should have been shorter. I lost steam towards the end as the stories began to blend together and share common themes. This was the main reason why I’d say the book was not great but still enjoyable.
January 2, 2025
Tells the story of how the modern US lobbying industry arose, following key players, including Trump allies familiar to readers of the Mueller report, Tommy Hale Boggs, and Tommy Podesta. The book documents how businesses decided to take a more aggressive stance towards affecting legislation in the 1970s, with the lobbying industry serving to implement these ambitions. Lobbyists then worked to undercut regulations from the New Deal through the consumer protection drive of the 70s and then undercut every piece of legislation since. You can start to see how the status quo of a pro-business Democratic and Republican party emerged from this landscape. The lobbyists chosen all follow the money until they spend their reputational capital or try to swallow too much, which adds a fun morality play argument. We need more limits on corporate money in politics. What do corporations have to add to our conversations, and what should they stay silent on.
July 29, 2024
Did it take me almost 3 months to read it? Yes. Was it worth it? Absolutely. No one knows how to spin a story like Brody and Luke, and you'd be hard pressed to find other reporters who know lobbying and influence better than they do. It's colorful, entertaining and I savored every page until the perfect final paragraph.
"The unwinding of the pro-business consensus won't doom Washington lobbyists. It will simply force them to innovate once again: develop new alliances, tools, and tactics to advance their agenda in a changing capital city. It will also, of course, require new people. A new set of power brokers and lobbying dynasties to define a new era. New fortunes to be made, new rules to be broken. New stories to be told."
"The unwinding of the pro-business consensus won't doom Washington lobbyists. It will simply force them to innovate once again: develop new alliances, tools, and tactics to advance their agenda in a changing capital city. It will also, of course, require new people. A new set of power brokers and lobbying dynasties to define a new era. New fortunes to be made, new rules to be broken. New stories to be told."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 17, 2024
If you want to understand why everything is terrible in American politics, you must read this book. Every miserable thing you loath about this system tracks back to the terrible way that lobbying has infiltrated and poisoned every level of our government from voters (you're complicit if you don't actually research candidates and issues) to the politicians and the media that (doesn't) hold them to account. An infuriating, essential read if there ever was one.
November 22, 2024
One of my favorite books of the year. A must read for anyone in politics or the DC sphere! It was fun, intriguing, made me angry, and put me on to a ton of bad people that still work in DC today! This book does a great job of tying overarching political themes/historical events to the development of lobbying and money in politics and how it’s ruining our democracy.
June 17, 2024
outstanding, insightful and informative
I was delighted and impressed with the ease and flow and objectivity of this story. Once started this book is at the top of the “can’t put it down scale”.
I was delighted and impressed with the ease and flow and objectivity of this story. Once started this book is at the top of the “can’t put it down scale”.
June 22, 2024
A thrilling, fast-paced epic detailing the 3 dynasties that created modern lobbying...and how they all fell from grace lol it's called karma
[[they're still rich though, so flawed karma]]
[[they're still rich though, so flawed karma]]
June 18, 2024
The rise of K Street corruption (roughly 1970 - 1997), is a depressing tour of the late 20th century. Well done, highly relevant to today's corruption. You'll want to take a shower.
August 25, 2024
Excellent account of how lobbying took over Washington, and adapted to any change in government.
September 21, 2024
Great and detailed view of the yucky side of DC lobbying.
November 9, 2024
Good read and really illustrates the point very well.
October 12, 2024
For a long time while I was listening to this book I thought that it might be the best book I'd ever encountered about the American political system. As explained in the introduction, the authors set out to tell the story of how corporations captured the US government. In prior eras, political control went back and forth, with corporate interests prevailing for a while before more labor and people-friendly policies came to dominance. Since the 1970s, all of that has changed. For all of that time, no matter which party controlled the various branches of government, the interests of corporations have reigned supreme. This era of corporate dominance can be traced directly back to the famous Lewis Powell memorandum to the US Chamber of Commerce of 1971, in which he advocated that corporations use their economic power to exert influence in politics, in order to stop what he termed an attack on the US free enterprise system. Who were the attackers? Those pesky consumer advocates and other do-gooders, whose influence spurred Congress to pass legislation to protect the public from ills like air and water pollution and unsafe products. The legislation also permitted governmental agencies to enact regulations which limited the power of corporations to harm the public.
As the authors explain, the change came about because of money. Corporate money, used in various ways, has greatly influenced politics so that corporate wish lists become government policy. During this time, the middle class has been hollowed out and the US has levels of income inequality that haven't been seen since the 1920s.
For the first two thirds of this book, the authors explain how lobbyists (mostly called "influence peddlers" in the book) made themselves into the tools that corporations could use to influence politicians. We see all of the various methods used, from "educating" politicians on issues, to raising money for them, to holding fundraisers for them, to directing advertising at the politicians' constituents in order to exert voter pressure on the politicians. It's all a quite ingenious method of using the money of entities that can't even vote, corporations, to influence the choices of officeholders allegedly answerable to voters, but, in reality, much more responsive to political donors.
As the authors explain, there have been various attempts over the years to rein in the lobbying industry in order to achieve "reform." None of it has worked because all of the legislation passed conveniently contains loopholes that allow business to go on as usual, albeit with slight modifications. Because, after all, nobody really wants to upset a system that pumps cash into campaigns and enriches lobbyists far beyond the dreams of ordinary voters who could never gain the type of access to "their" representatives that lobbyists have.
The story is told principally through three lobbying firms, all with some political juice, one run by Tommy Boggs, son of former representative Hale Boggs, Democrat of Louisiana, a second that included Roger Stone and Paul Manafort, and a third run by Anthony Podesta, brother of Clinton insider John Podesta. The choice of two lobbying firms associated with Democrats and only one associated with Republicans seemed odd to me because the Republicans have long been the party of big business, but perhaps the authors meant to show, and do show, that when it comes to corporate money, everyone wants in. And there are other reasons, which I will get into below.
I found the first two thirds of the book to be well done, and thoroughly absorbing. There's a lot of insider detail, which shows that the authors did a lot of research. So why my lukewarm rating of three stars?
I was all in on a five star rating until I got to the third section of the book. In that section, the book goes completely off the rails and I began to question the credibility of what I was hearing. In this section, the authors change their focus from governmental control by corporations, accomplished through the use of lobbyists, to the story of the lobbying firms themselves. The lobbying of government takes a back seat to lurid tales of criminality, marriage and divorce, and a suicide. It then became apparent to me that the three firms were chosen as the focus of the narrative not because of their degree of dominance in the lobbying world, but because all had spectacular flameouts of one sort or another. The story went from insider politics to scandal sheet drama. The authors began to treat lobbyists, who are principally tools of corporate masters, into the principal actors in the drama. It was an unfortunate transition, and it really damaged the book.
The credibility issues cropped up during the discussion of the presidency of Donald Trump. From the book, one would think that lobbying died during the Trump presidency. The authors did not discuss even a single instance of lobbying during Trump's administration. They assert that Trump was "anti-business" and that his presidency ushered in an era of bipartisan, anti-business fervor that was very bad for the world of lobbying. Those who examined Trump's actions rather than his rhetoric and saw the big tax cuts for the rich and corporations, the dismantling of regulations, the coddling of fossil fuel interests and the destruction of natural treasures to suit the interests of corporate exploitation would be very surprised to learn that Trump was anti-business. But at least we have now found two people, perhaps the only two people outside of the MAGA personality cult, who actually believe that Trump is sincere when he rails against elites. In fact, Trump did not end lobbying. OpenSecrets, the non-profit lobbying watchdog group, reported that both the number of registered lobbyists and the amount of money spent on them increased during Trump's presidency. The Associated Press reported that Trump put more former lobbyists in Cabinet-level positions in three years than his two immediate predecessors did in eight years. There was more lobbying on regulatory issues than ever before when Trump was president. All that changed were the identities of the successful firms. Those with direct ties to Trump thrived. Those, like Podesta, who were chummy with the Clintons and other Democrats, didn't do so well.
I was baffled at the framing of Trump as an anti-business populist hero. The representation that Trump was anti-business and ended lobbying as we knew it comes across as a deliberate distortion. Why would the authors do that? But then I remembered that the principal author (who made himself one of the heroes of the book's third section by recounting his investigation of matters already covered in earlier sections of the book) worked for Rupert Murdoch's Wall Street Journal, a notable conservative news source. And, of course, Murdoch's Fox News is a non-stop cheerleader for Trump. It's that connection that made me realize why Democratic lobbyists were so prominently featured as corrupt lobbyists. Can't let all of the blame fall on Republicans. As with all reporting in this era of journalists as advocates, consider the source of the information and the motivation of the writer(s).
An odd omission for most of the book was the role of the courts, which have dismantled legislation limiting campaign donations in the name of free speech. Wasn't that a huge factor in handing control of politics to corporate money? I kept thinking, "When do we get to Citizens United?" They finally got there, right at the end of the book, making the surprising assertion that Citizens United actually reduced the influence of corporate money, though it did give a lot more say to individual billionaires, who also happen to be business owners. The argument didn't make any sense to me, especially given the role of dark money in politics. It is a notable failure.
So I gave five stars for the first two thirds of the book, one star (or zero) for the last third. This is still worth reading because it will give the reader a much better understanding of the mess that is politics in the 21st century. It's all about the money. Corporations and the rich have lots of it so their concerns are always heard in Washington. Ordinary citizens don't have the money to hire K Street firms so they get the short end of the stick. Unless there is a real attempt to get the money out of politics, that will never change.
As the authors explain, the change came about because of money. Corporate money, used in various ways, has greatly influenced politics so that corporate wish lists become government policy. During this time, the middle class has been hollowed out and the US has levels of income inequality that haven't been seen since the 1920s.
For the first two thirds of this book, the authors explain how lobbyists (mostly called "influence peddlers" in the book) made themselves into the tools that corporations could use to influence politicians. We see all of the various methods used, from "educating" politicians on issues, to raising money for them, to holding fundraisers for them, to directing advertising at the politicians' constituents in order to exert voter pressure on the politicians. It's all a quite ingenious method of using the money of entities that can't even vote, corporations, to influence the choices of officeholders allegedly answerable to voters, but, in reality, much more responsive to political donors.
As the authors explain, there have been various attempts over the years to rein in the lobbying industry in order to achieve "reform." None of it has worked because all of the legislation passed conveniently contains loopholes that allow business to go on as usual, albeit with slight modifications. Because, after all, nobody really wants to upset a system that pumps cash into campaigns and enriches lobbyists far beyond the dreams of ordinary voters who could never gain the type of access to "their" representatives that lobbyists have.
The story is told principally through three lobbying firms, all with some political juice, one run by Tommy Boggs, son of former representative Hale Boggs, Democrat of Louisiana, a second that included Roger Stone and Paul Manafort, and a third run by Anthony Podesta, brother of Clinton insider John Podesta. The choice of two lobbying firms associated with Democrats and only one associated with Republicans seemed odd to me because the Republicans have long been the party of big business, but perhaps the authors meant to show, and do show, that when it comes to corporate money, everyone wants in. And there are other reasons, which I will get into below.
I found the first two thirds of the book to be well done, and thoroughly absorbing. There's a lot of insider detail, which shows that the authors did a lot of research. So why my lukewarm rating of three stars?
I was all in on a five star rating until I got to the third section of the book. In that section, the book goes completely off the rails and I began to question the credibility of what I was hearing. In this section, the authors change their focus from governmental control by corporations, accomplished through the use of lobbyists, to the story of the lobbying firms themselves. The lobbying of government takes a back seat to lurid tales of criminality, marriage and divorce, and a suicide. It then became apparent to me that the three firms were chosen as the focus of the narrative not because of their degree of dominance in the lobbying world, but because all had spectacular flameouts of one sort or another. The story went from insider politics to scandal sheet drama. The authors began to treat lobbyists, who are principally tools of corporate masters, into the principal actors in the drama. It was an unfortunate transition, and it really damaged the book.
The credibility issues cropped up during the discussion of the presidency of Donald Trump. From the book, one would think that lobbying died during the Trump presidency. The authors did not discuss even a single instance of lobbying during Trump's administration. They assert that Trump was "anti-business" and that his presidency ushered in an era of bipartisan, anti-business fervor that was very bad for the world of lobbying. Those who examined Trump's actions rather than his rhetoric and saw the big tax cuts for the rich and corporations, the dismantling of regulations, the coddling of fossil fuel interests and the destruction of natural treasures to suit the interests of corporate exploitation would be very surprised to learn that Trump was anti-business. But at least we have now found two people, perhaps the only two people outside of the MAGA personality cult, who actually believe that Trump is sincere when he rails against elites. In fact, Trump did not end lobbying. OpenSecrets, the non-profit lobbying watchdog group, reported that both the number of registered lobbyists and the amount of money spent on them increased during Trump's presidency. The Associated Press reported that Trump put more former lobbyists in Cabinet-level positions in three years than his two immediate predecessors did in eight years. There was more lobbying on regulatory issues than ever before when Trump was president. All that changed were the identities of the successful firms. Those with direct ties to Trump thrived. Those, like Podesta, who were chummy with the Clintons and other Democrats, didn't do so well.
I was baffled at the framing of Trump as an anti-business populist hero. The representation that Trump was anti-business and ended lobbying as we knew it comes across as a deliberate distortion. Why would the authors do that? But then I remembered that the principal author (who made himself one of the heroes of the book's third section by recounting his investigation of matters already covered in earlier sections of the book) worked for Rupert Murdoch's Wall Street Journal, a notable conservative news source. And, of course, Murdoch's Fox News is a non-stop cheerleader for Trump. It's that connection that made me realize why Democratic lobbyists were so prominently featured as corrupt lobbyists. Can't let all of the blame fall on Republicans. As with all reporting in this era of journalists as advocates, consider the source of the information and the motivation of the writer(s).
An odd omission for most of the book was the role of the courts, which have dismantled legislation limiting campaign donations in the name of free speech. Wasn't that a huge factor in handing control of politics to corporate money? I kept thinking, "When do we get to Citizens United?" They finally got there, right at the end of the book, making the surprising assertion that Citizens United actually reduced the influence of corporate money, though it did give a lot more say to individual billionaires, who also happen to be business owners. The argument didn't make any sense to me, especially given the role of dark money in politics. It is a notable failure.
So I gave five stars for the first two thirds of the book, one star (or zero) for the last third. This is still worth reading because it will give the reader a much better understanding of the mess that is politics in the 21st century. It's all about the money. Corporations and the rich have lots of it so their concerns are always heard in Washington. Ordinary citizens don't have the money to hire K Street firms so they get the short end of the stick. Unless there is a real attempt to get the money out of politics, that will never change.
June 30, 2024
The influence of "Big Money" via lobbyists is a pretty common refrain in politics (and even without lobbyists), etc. so I was curious about this book, which popped up in my local library. For those who don't know, K Street in Washington, DC is a major road that also happens to have the offices of many lobbying organizations, advocacy groups, think tanks, trade associations, etc. If they're not K Street, they're probably somewhere nearby.
In this book, the Mullins brothers take on the story of various lobbyists in DC: you may be at least familiar with their last names, if not themselves. Democrat, Republican, people who honestly don't care and just want to make money, you name it. They are influence peddlers in all sorts of fields: from the energy industry to safety regulations to produce sold at your local grocery store, etc. You name it and there's probably an organization or lobbyist or someone else who does the government affairs for that lane/area of work.
The book shifts back and forth through time, looking at various lobbyists over the years and also the changes of time, technology, laws and regulations (whether regarding lobbying or not, etc.). You might be surprised to find your favorite cause, does, yes indeed, employ lobbyists and/or government affairs services who might work right alongside with someone who represents or deals with issues that make your blood boil. So it goes.
Overall, it was extremely dull. I thought this was going to be a general history of lobbying and it does try to do that. But I think the choice to frame it through some of these lobbyists and their stories is a bit of a disservice. It becomes a jumble of names, places and dates, like it was a bunch of magazine longreads. It felt like a little too much like an information dump at times trying to cover too many people and too many bases.
It's a book that has its audience and there are people who will definitely benefit from it. But it is pretty specific and I suspect a layperson who knows nothing at all about what lobbyists do, has never heard of K Street, etc. might find this tedious.
Would recommend for those studying going into government or any kind of government affairs/lobbying/advocacy work. Not an easy read, maybe it might not apply if you're not in DC, etc. but all the same you might find it helpful.
Borrowed from the library and that was best for me.
In this book, the Mullins brothers take on the story of various lobbyists in DC: you may be at least familiar with their last names, if not themselves. Democrat, Republican, people who honestly don't care and just want to make money, you name it. They are influence peddlers in all sorts of fields: from the energy industry to safety regulations to produce sold at your local grocery store, etc. You name it and there's probably an organization or lobbyist or someone else who does the government affairs for that lane/area of work.
The book shifts back and forth through time, looking at various lobbyists over the years and also the changes of time, technology, laws and regulations (whether regarding lobbying or not, etc.). You might be surprised to find your favorite cause, does, yes indeed, employ lobbyists and/or government affairs services who might work right alongside with someone who represents or deals with issues that make your blood boil. So it goes.
Overall, it was extremely dull. I thought this was going to be a general history of lobbying and it does try to do that. But I think the choice to frame it through some of these lobbyists and their stories is a bit of a disservice. It becomes a jumble of names, places and dates, like it was a bunch of magazine longreads. It felt like a little too much like an information dump at times trying to cover too many people and too many bases.
It's a book that has its audience and there are people who will definitely benefit from it. But it is pretty specific and I suspect a layperson who knows nothing at all about what lobbyists do, has never heard of K Street, etc. might find this tedious.
Would recommend for those studying going into government or any kind of government affairs/lobbying/advocacy work. Not an easy read, maybe it might not apply if you're not in DC, etc. but all the same you might find it helpful.
Borrowed from the library and that was best for me.
September 15, 2024
An interesting peek into this world but I think they’re missing the trees for the forest. In focusing on the most colorful, high profile, and corrupt lobbyists they miss the larger pool of more above-board money that also has huge implications on how policy gets made.
I did like this anecdote about how a Representative allowed their former staffer to get a very public steak dinner with them to help him kick off his lobbying career.
"A few days before the Ways and Means Committee was to begin voting on
the tax bill, Healey received a call from his old boss.
“Take me to lunch,” Rostenkowski said, according to Healey.
The request surprised Healey. When Congress was in session, Rostenkowski
normally ate lunch at his desk. With the votes on the tax bill just around the
corner, he figured the congressman would have more important things to do
than share a meal with a former aide. Still, Healey wasn’t about to turn down the
chairman.
“Where do you want to go to lunch?” Healey asked.
“Wherever it will do you the most good,” Rostenkowski replied.
A few hours later, Healey drove over to Capitol Hill, picked up
Rostenkowski, and escorted him into the Palm, the wood-paneled steakhouse
that Washington insiders considered the place to see and be seen. Upon entering
the crowded restaurant, Rostenkowski demanded a large table in the middle of
the dining room. Over the next hour and a half, the roomful of lobbyists and
consultants watched Rostenkowski, the powerful committee chairman, enjoy an
intimate lunch with Healey, the rookie tax lobbyist, on one of the final days
before Rostenkowski’s committee would begin its critical work on the tax
overhaul. Eventually Healey realized what was happening. As a way to thank his
former aide for his years of dutiful service, Rostenkowski was promoting
promotingHealey’s new career as a lobbyist by broadcasting to Washington just how close
the two were. “The idea was: ‘Holy moly, Healey is meeting with Rosty just
before the tax bill starts,’” Healey recalled in an interview. The display proved
beneficial. When Healey returned to his office, his phone was ringing with calls
from corporate executives seeking his help on the tax bill.
I did like this anecdote about how a Representative allowed their former staffer to get a very public steak dinner with them to help him kick off his lobbying career.
"A few days before the Ways and Means Committee was to begin voting on
the tax bill, Healey received a call from his old boss.
“Take me to lunch,” Rostenkowski said, according to Healey.
The request surprised Healey. When Congress was in session, Rostenkowski
normally ate lunch at his desk. With the votes on the tax bill just around the
corner, he figured the congressman would have more important things to do
than share a meal with a former aide. Still, Healey wasn’t about to turn down the
chairman.
“Where do you want to go to lunch?” Healey asked.
“Wherever it will do you the most good,” Rostenkowski replied.
A few hours later, Healey drove over to Capitol Hill, picked up
Rostenkowski, and escorted him into the Palm, the wood-paneled steakhouse
that Washington insiders considered the place to see and be seen. Upon entering
the crowded restaurant, Rostenkowski demanded a large table in the middle of
the dining room. Over the next hour and a half, the roomful of lobbyists and
consultants watched Rostenkowski, the powerful committee chairman, enjoy an
intimate lunch with Healey, the rookie tax lobbyist, on one of the final days
before Rostenkowski’s committee would begin its critical work on the tax
overhaul. Eventually Healey realized what was happening. As a way to thank his
former aide for his years of dutiful service, Rostenkowski was promoting
promotingHealey’s new career as a lobbyist by broadcasting to Washington just how close
the two were. “The idea was: ‘Holy moly, Healey is meeting with Rosty just
before the tax bill starts,’” Healey recalled in an interview. The display proved
beneficial. When Healey returned to his office, his phone was ringing with calls
from corporate executives seeking his help on the tax bill.
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