closely examined,” said Painter, who served in the George W. Bush adminis- tration from 2005 to 2007. Since 2016, he has been vice chair of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washing- ton (CREW), a government watchdog group in the nation’s capital. “It not only undermines confidence
in government, but we have, in some cases, seen how politicians have lever- aged their office to benefit themselves or family members in ways that, at the very least, give the appearance of cor- ruption,” said Painter. He points to Biden’s tenure as a no-
show professor as an example of ethi- cally questionable actions. After his role as vice president under
Barack Obama ended, Amy Gutmann, president of the University of Penn- sylvania, hired Biden as a “professor” between 2017 and 2019 for $911,000. Biden collected his full salary despite
not having taught any classes. Shortly after being inaugurated as
president in 2021, Biden nominated Gutmann as ambassador to Germany. “It was as clear an example as one
could find of a quid pro quo,” said Painter. “He (Biden) had a real skill for finding private sector money that went to himself or his family.” In February, President Donald
Trump reacted with shock after learn- ing that Biden had signed with CAA. “You’ve got to be kidding,” Trump
said, shaking his head after a report- er’s question. “He signed with a talent agency?” “I think he’s got much bigger prob-
lems than that, but I wish him well,” Trump added.
Aſter his role as vice president under Barack Obama, Biden was hired as a “professor” between 2017 and 2019 for $911,000.
The first American president to
write a memoir was Ulysses S. Grant, whose two-volume autobiography, The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant, was published by Mark Twain (who many believe also served as a ghost- writer) shortly after the retired gen- eral’s death in 1885. Grant’s book would be a huge commercial success, earning nearly $450,000 during the first three years of publication. In 2017, after Barack and Michelle
Obama signed a $65 million book deal with Random House Publishing, crit- ics pointed to a $350 million contract awarded by his administration to Pear- son Publishing to create the common core curriculum as evidence of a quid pro quo due to Pearson’s financial ties to Random House. Critics also pointed to the Obama administration’s efforts to regulate broadband internet providers, for which Netflix had lobbied, as another example of a potential conflict after the former first couple inked a multiyear deal to produce movies and shows for the streaming network. In 2019, the Obama deals caught the ire of then-candidate Trump, who
Qatar-owned Al Jazeera Satellite Network for $500 million. Gore was accused of using his contacts in Washington to procure the Current TV slot on the cable spectrum before selling it to Al Jazeera, which has been accused of being a propaganda tool for the Palestinian group Hamas and anti-Israel extremists.
said the book and streaming deals should be investigated. Republicans have also come under
fire for monetizing their role as public servants. In January, Amazon paid a $40
million licensing fee for the rights to produce a documentary on first lady Melania Trump. In a press release, the company stat-
ed that it was “excited to share this truly unique story,” but many on the left claimed it was Amazon owner Jeff Bezos’ attempt to curry favor with the Trump administration. For Hollywood agencies, the lure of
former politicians extends well beyond any financial incentives. Netting a top political talent to their roster adds pres- tige to the agency while giving them a competitive edge to attract other big- name talent. However, according to Painter,
Harris’ deal will face obstacles if the 60-year-old plans to hold public office in the future. “Unless she decides to retire from
politics, anything she does must be at arm’s length and done at market value, or she could run afoul of federal elec- tion law and undisclosed campaign expenses,” he explained. Despite the public outcry, Painter
said any serious reform efforts hoping to set limits — such as placing restric- tions on private sector payouts for poli- ticians once they leave public office — would most likely be declared uncon- stitutional. As a result, the citizenry can expect an increase in former officials cashing in on their time in office — as well as increasingly large payouts.
Hillary Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, combined to earn more than $153 million in paid speeches from 2001 until the launch of her first presidential campaign. According to a CNN analysis, the two gave 729 speeches from February 2001 until May, receiving an average payday of $210,795 for
each address. The two also reported at least $7.7 million for at least 39 speeches to big banks, including Goldman Sachs and UBS, with the former 2016 Democrat nominee collecting more than $1.8 million for at least eight speeches to big banks at a time when she had been under scrutiny for her ties to Wall Street.
MAY 2025 | NEWSMAX 37
JOE RAEDLE/GETTY IMAGES
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100
