If you keep it only at the federal level and assume that staff isn't being "lobbied",

100 senators 435 representatives 1 President 1 Vice President

~7 million dollars per person per year

:)

You do realize those aren't cash payments to the politician, right?

>There aren't that many politicians to bribe.

I think this is really the crux of the issue.

If a CEO met with a politician and said "I've talked to all my CEO buddies and if you do XYZ we're all going to make substantial contributions to your campaign and PACs" that's clear-cut bribery and honest services fraud.

But if the same CEO hires a lobbyist to say the exact same thing to a politician suddenly it's "free speech" and we're expected to believe the government can't do anything to reign it in.

> But if the same CEO hires a lobbyist to say the exact same thing to a politician suddenly it's "free speech" and we're expected to believe the government can't do anything to reign it in.

This is not what happens during lobbying. If you have any concrete evidence of this sort of exchange happening, please report it, since it's a blatant violation of federal law.

It's absolutely how it works: https://www.vox.com/first-person/2017/6/29/15886936/politica...