Pretty much everywhere else they pretend to not have lobbying or bribing, but just end up doing it behind closed doors.

It may be a program to create jobs. I mean, there would be no lobbyist profession if the lawmakers would take the bribes directly.

> Let's call it lobbying and make it legal and legitimate

And we can keep the overt cash payouts. We just launder the funds thru campaign chests and revolving-door, high salaried jobs (as a lobbyist, consultant, etc).

It's only natural that the campaign purchase several million copies of your self-published book to give out to influence voters! And of course the campaign should hire your brother-in-law's ad firm, you already know what their quality is like!