Probably more like 'lobbying' and mutual backscratch understandings than a briefcase full of cash, but it's one of the world's biggest businesses. I'm sure no holds are barred at that level.
It's hard to say the extent to which government departments have their policies set by the same companies they're supposed to oversee. I would guess it boils down to a few submissions of junk science studies 'funded' (bought) by a company seeking approval for a new bean, drug, whatever, and an understanding that if a government man says no to them then his life is going to get worse instead of better.
its so ingrained in the US, in every level of production and business, that ir would take the end of this country as we know it to get rid of it.
ita pathetic how much clout those companies hold over this country. ... id say in the food/farm industry, but their tentacles go far far deeper than that label implies.
Our politician passed the Monsanto protection act, FFS, making them near invunerable to.... well, anything anyone could possibly throw at them.
let that sink in for a minute.... US politician s passed a bill to protect a private company from being attacked/sued/what have you.