How The Grifft Is Done

[Palumboism]

Does anyone have a better explanation on how the political grifft is done?  I'm just trying to better understand how these lifetime politicians all become multi milionaires when there salaries from their political appointment don't come close to how much they're worth.  Anyone have any insight as to how the political system works?

[Thin Lizzy]

The standard way they make extra money is by giving out contracts to favored businesses and then getting a kickback.

[TheGrinch]

The standard way they make extra money is by giving out contracts to favored businesses and then getting a kickback.

yep.. 100%.. even works that way at the very local level across the US

[Thin Lizzy]

yep.. 100%.. even works that way at the very local level across the US

Foreign aid is really nothing but a kickback scheme. For example, when countries get  foreign aid they often have to spend the money on weapons and then the weapons manufacturers kick part of the money back to the politicians.

[IroNat]

Biden was always one of the lowest net worth Senators. $1-$2 million.

George Bush senior supposedly was only worth just over $2 million.

Probably have their family wealth in trusts.

[POB]

Biden was always one of the lowest net worth Senators. $1-$2 million.

George Bush senior supposedly was only worth just over $2 million.

Probably have their family wealth in trusts.

Name   Net worth
(millions of 2016 US$)[13]   Political party[14]   Years in office   Lifespan
Donald Trump   3,100[nb 1]   Republican   2017–2021   born 1946
George Washington   587   None/Independent   1789–1797   1732–1799
Thomas Jefferson   236   Democratic-Republican   1801–1809   1743–1826
Theodore Roosevelt   139   Republican   1901–1909   1858–1919
Andrew Jackson   132   Democratic   1829–1837   1767–1845
James Madison   113   Democratic-Republican   1809–1817   1751–1836
Lyndon B. Johnson   109   Democratic   1963–1969   1908–1973
Herbert Hoover   83   Republican   1929–1933   1874–1964
Bill Clinton   75   Democratic   1993–2001   born 1946
Franklin D. Roosevelt   66   Democratic   1933–1945   1882–1945
John Tyler   57   Whig / None   1841–1845   1790–1862
Barack Obama   40   Democratic   2009–2017   born 1961
George W. Bush   39   Republican   2001–2009   born 1946
James Monroe   30   Democratic-Republican   1817–1825   1758–1831
Martin Van Buren   29   Democratic   1837–1841   1782–1862
Grover Cleveland   28   Democratic   1885–1889
1893–1897   1837–1908
George H. W. Bush   26   Republican   1989–1993   1924–2018
John Quincy Adams   23   Democratic-Republican   1825–1829   1767–1848
John Adams   21   Federalist   1797–1801   1735–1826
Richard Nixon   17   Republican   1969–1974   1913–1994
Ronald Reagan   14   Republican   1981–1989   1911–2004
James K. Polk   11   Democratic   1845–1849   1795–1849
John F. Kennedy   10   Democratic   1961–1963   1917–1963
Dwight D. Eisenhower   9   Republican   1953–1961   1890–1969
Joe Biden   9[20]   Democratic   2021–present   born 1942
Gerald Ford   8   Republican   1974–1977   1913–2006
Jimmy Carter   8   Democratic   1977–1981   born 1924
Zachary Taylor   7   Whig   1849–1850   1784–1850
William Henry Harrison   6   Whig   1841   1773

Your numbers are way off my friend
 It has biden at 9 million and bush senior at 26 and that was 5 years ago and before robbing the bank I mean cough cough covid stimulus

[robcguns]

The standard way they make extra money is by giving out contracts to favored businesses and then getting a kickback.

Yup same as anything else just more power to sway it their way.

[Palumboism]

The standard way they make extra money is by giving out contracts to favored businesses and then getting a kickback.

How is the kickback paid to them without there being a trail?

[Palumboism]

Does it work the same way at all levels of government, Mayor, Governor, Senator, President....?  Town, City, County, State, Federal?

[IroNat]

Name   Net worth
(millions of 2016 US$)[13]   Political party[14]   Years in office   Lifespan
Donald Trump   3,100[nb 1]   Republican   2017–2021   born 1946
George Washington   587   None/Independent   1789–1797   1732–1799
Thomas Jefferson   236   Democratic-Republican   1801–1809   1743–1826
Theodore Roosevelt   139   Republican   1901–1909   1858–1919
Andrew Jackson   132   Democratic   1829–1837   1767–1845
James Madison   113   Democratic-Republican   1809–1817   1751–1836
Lyndon B. Johnson   109   Democratic   1963–1969   1908–1973
Herbert Hoover   83   Republican   1929–1933   1874–1964
Bill Clinton   75   Democratic   1993–2001   born 1946
Franklin D. Roosevelt   66   Democratic   1933–1945   1882–1945
John Tyler   57   Whig / None   1841–1845   1790–1862
Barack Obama   40   Democratic   2009–2017   born 1961
George W. Bush   39   Republican   2001–2009   born 1946
James Monroe   30   Democratic-Republican   1817–1825   1758–1831
Martin Van Buren   29   Democratic   1837–1841   1782–1862
Grover Cleveland   28   Democratic   1885–1889
1893–1897   1837–1908
George H. W. Bush   26   Republican   1989–1993   1924–2018
John Quincy Adams   23   Democratic-Republican   1825–1829   1767–1848
John Adams   21   Federalist   1797–1801   1735–1826
Richard Nixon   17   Republican   1969–1974   1913–1994
Ronald Reagan   14   Republican   1981–1989   1911–2004
James K. Polk   11   Democratic   1845–1849   1795–1849
John F. Kennedy   10   Democratic   1961–1963   1917–1963
Dwight D. Eisenhower   9   Republican   1953–1961   1890–1969
Joe Biden   9[20]   Democratic   2021–present   born 1942
Gerald Ford   8   Republican   1974–1977   1913–2006
Jimmy Carter   8   Democratic   1977–1981   born 1924
Zachary Taylor   7   Whig   1849–1850   1784–1850
William Henry Harrison   6   Whig   1841   1773

Your numbers are way off my friend
 It has biden at 9 million and bush senior at 26 and that was 5 years ago and before robbing the bank I mean cough cough covid stimulus

https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/money-and-power/a9138933/president-net-worth/

Bush senior here had net worth of around $4 mill before.  I recall his net worth being reported at
around $2.5 mill when he became Pres. in 1988.  $2.5 mill in 1988 is around $5.6 mill today.

Joe Biden's Net Worth: Is He Really The Poorest Man in Congress?

https://www.capitalism.com/joe-biden-net-worth/

From modest beginnings, he and his wife Jill (nθe Jacobs) have grown a current net worth of more than $9 million, almost entirely obtained since leaving the office of Vice President in 2016.

[falco]

Lobbying. Contractors get chosen if they pay the party and its leaders.

[Thin Lizzy]

How is the kickback paid to them without there being a trail?

There’s  a whole raft of sneaky tricks they use. Sending the money to an offshore account. At the lower levels, it just comes in a bag of cash. Campaign donations are another one.

[Thin Lizzy]

Does it work the same way at all levels of government, Mayor, Governor, Senator, President....?  Town, City, County, State, Federal?

The main difference is the number of zeros involved in the payoff.

[Palumboism]

There’s  a whole raft of sneaky tricks they use. Sending the money to an offshore account. At the lower levels, it just comes in a bag of cash. Campaign donations are another one.

Kind of hypocritical of Democrats to worry about others not paying their taxes when they're taking tax free under the table kick backs.

[IroNat]

Bags of cash

https://www.nj.com/politics/2021/06/bags-of-cash.html

"The Scarpetta-set sting would ultimately expand well beyond the restaurant, leading to the arrest of five low-level politicos with details worthy of an episode of “American Greed.” Tickets to sporting events. Bribes delivered in parking lots and hotels. Cash stuffed in take-out coffee cups and paper bags."

[Thin Lizzy]

Another scam is to have the money go through family members as was the case with Biden. His son gets a no-show job and then kicks some upstairs to the big man.