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| {{Short description|2011 autobiography by Jack Abramoff}} | |||
| {{Wikify|date=November 2011}} | |||
| {{DISPLAYTITLE:''Capitol Punishment'' (book)}}{{Infobox book | |||
| | author = ] | |||
| | image = File:Capitol Punishment (book).jpg | |||
| | caption = The cover of ''Capitol Punishment'', written by ] in 2011 | |||
| | publisher = ] | |||
| | pub_date = November 2011 | |||
| | genre = ] ] | |||
| | pages = 300 | |||
| | country = ] | |||
| | language = English | |||
| | isbn = 978-1-936488-44-5 | |||
| }} | |||
| '''''Capitol Punishment: The Hard Truth About Washington Corruption From America's Most Notorious Lobbyist''''' is a non-fiction 300-page memoir by former American ] ], published by ] in November 2011. | |||
| {{Orphan|date=November 2011}} | |||
| In December 2011, '']'' described the book as an "account of his political triumphs, serial lawbreaking and unethical conduct",<ref name="WPUnrepentant">{{cite web| url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/in-jack-abramoffs-memoir-capitol-punishment-an-unrepentant-reformer/2011/11/30/gIQAxZIpiO_story.html| title=In Jack Abramoff’s memoir, ‘Capitol Punishment,’ an unrepentant reformer? | author= Smith, Jeffrey R.| date=December 9, 2011| work=The Washington Post| publisher=| accessdate= March 9, 2012}}</ref> details the author's life in ], as a ] and lobbyist. In its last chapter, titled "Path to Reform", Abramoff lists a number of proposals to eliminate ] of ] officials.<ref name="JJDestitute">{{cite web| url= http://www.jewishjournal.com/los_angeles/article/destitute_the_new_jack_abramoff_20120308| title= Destitute: The new Jack Abramoff | author= Lowenfeld, Jonah | date= March 8, 2012| work= ]| publisher= | accessdate= March 9, 2012}}</ref> | |||
| ''Capitol Punishment'' is a non-fiction memoir by former ] ], released after his 43 month stay in federal prison. The book details the author's life in Washington as a ] and lobbyist. In an NPR interview, when asked why he wrote the book, Mr. Abramoff responded that while in prison he did a fair amount of soul searching and decided that the least he could do was expose the lobbyist system in Washington for what it really is. . Abramoff has expressed contempt for many of the people he has worked with, calling them "idiots", "monkeys", and other derogatory terms. The book details the inner workings of the Washington Abramoff knew, and is meant to expose what Abramoff has called the real crime of the Washington lobby. This real crime, according to Abramoff, is not what is illegal in Washington (he claims the great majority of what he did was legal), but rather what is legal. | |||
| == Writing process == | |||
| ] in 2011]] | |||
| Abramoff wrote ''Capitol Punishment'' in four weeks<ref name="JJDestitute"/> after having served four years in a federal prison for corruption connected to his lobbying. When ] asked Abramoff why he wrote the book, he said, "When I was in prison, I started thinking about how to fix the system that is there. Because, obviously, throwing Jack Abramoff in jail didn't clean up the system",<ref>{{cite web| url= https://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2011/11/18/142506057/jack-abramoff-from-corrupt-lobbyist-to-washington-reformer| title= Jack Abramoff: From Corrupt Lobbyist To Washington Reformer| author= James, Frank | date= November 18, 2011| work= ]|accessdate= May 5, 2012}}</ref> adding "I had something to give back, some way to make some recompense for what I was by telling what is going on in Washington – from the point of view of somebody who rose very high in that industry – and what goes on behind those doors, and how horrible it really is."<ref name="NPRInterview">{{cite web| url= https://www.npr.org/2011/11/18/142506539/jack-abramoff-calls-d-c-politics-dirty-as-ever | title= Jack Abramoff Calls D.C. Politics Dirty As Ever| author= | date= November 18, 2011| work= NPR | publisher= | accessdate= March 9, 2012}}</ref> | |||
| == Content == | |||
| The book details the inner workings of ], that Abramoff knew. It discusses Abramoff's relationships with powerful ] leaders, including ] and ], and shares the names of ] who, according to Abramoff, took tens of thousands of dollars, but offers no significant new details beyond what was known before, and "doesn't help identify the people he corrupted who are still on the ]", as '']'' notes. Some of the people he accuses of having taken money from his team and clients, particularly members of the ] and ], have denied the allegations, calling Abramoff "a liar".<ref name="HuffPBook">{{cite web| url= http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/01/jack-abramoff-new-book_n_1069690.html| author=Froomkin, Dan | title= Jack Abramoff Takes Shots At Enemies And Protects Friends In New Book | date= November 1, 2011 | work=Huffington Post |accessdate= March 13, 2012}}</ref> | |||
| The book is meant to expose what Abramoff considers the real problem of Washington, D.C.-based lobbying. The real problem, according to Abramoff, is not what is illegal in Washington, D.C., but rather what is legal.<ref name="NPRInterview"/> In the last chapter of the book, Abramoff portrays himself as someone who supports genuine reform.<ref name="HuffPBook"/> He suggests to shut the "]" between ] and the ] offices of the biggest lobbying firms by banning legislators and their aides for life from becoming lobbyists. He also proposes barring lobbyists from giving gifts to lawmakers, and prohibiting lobbyists and special interest groups from making political donations. In addition to this, he advocates instituting ] for representatives and senators.<ref name="JJDestitute"/> | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
| * http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2011/11/18/142506057/jack-abramoff-from-corrupt-lobbyist-to-washington-reformer | |||
| *http://67.192.238.60/media-center/publications/ralph-reed-the-crash-of-the-choir-boy-wonder/moolah-monkeys-morons-and-ree | |||
| {{reflist}} | {{reflist}} | ||
| == External links == | |||
| ⚫ | ] | ||
| * {{cite book| url= https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781936488445| title= Capitol Punishment: The Hard Truth About Washington Corruption From America’s Most Notorious Lobbyist| location= Washington, D.C.| publisher= WND Books| year= 2011| author= Jack Abramoff| isbn= 978-1-936488-44-5| url-access= registration}} | |||
| ⚫ | ] | ||
| * | |||
| ⚫ | ] | ||
| ⚫ | ] | ||
| ] | |||
Latest revision as of 19:33, 25 May 2024
2011 autobiography by Jack Abramoff.jpg) The cover of Capitol Punishment, written by Jack Abramoff in 2011 | |
| Author | Jack Abramoff |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Non-fiction memoir |
| Publisher | WNDbooks |
| Publication date | November 2011 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Pages | 300 |
| ISBN | 978-1-936488-44-5 |
Capitol Punishment: The Hard Truth About Washington Corruption From America's Most Notorious Lobbyist is a non-fiction 300-page memoir by former American lobbyist Jack Abramoff, published by WNDbooks in November 2011.
In December 2011, The Washington Post described the book as an "account of his political triumphs, serial lawbreaking and unethical conduct", details the author's life in Washington, D.C., as a power broker and lobbyist. In its last chapter, titled "Path to Reform", Abramoff lists a number of proposals to eliminate bribery of federal government officials.
Writing process
Abramoff wrote Capitol Punishment in four weeks after having served four years in a federal prison for corruption connected to his lobbying. When NPR asked Abramoff why he wrote the book, he said, "When I was in prison, I started thinking about how to fix the system that is there. Because, obviously, throwing Jack Abramoff in jail didn't clean up the system", adding "I had something to give back, some way to make some recompense for what I was by telling what is going on in Washington – from the point of view of somebody who rose very high in that industry – and what goes on behind those doors, and how horrible it really is."
Content
The book details the inner workings of Washington, D.C., that Abramoff knew. It discusses Abramoff's relationships with powerful congressional leaders, including Tom DeLay and Bob Ney, and shares the names of senators who, according to Abramoff, took tens of thousands of dollars, but offers no significant new details beyond what was known before, and "doesn't help identify the people he corrupted who are still on the Hill", as The Huffington Post notes. Some of the people he accuses of having taken money from his team and clients, particularly members of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee and Democratic Party politicians, have denied the allegations, calling Abramoff "a liar".
The book is meant to expose what Abramoff considers the real problem of Washington, D.C.-based lobbying. The real problem, according to Abramoff, is not what is illegal in Washington, D.C., but rather what is legal. In the last chapter of the book, Abramoff portrays himself as someone who supports genuine reform. He suggests to shut the "revolving door" between Capitol Hill and the K Street offices of the biggest lobbying firms by banning legislators and their aides for life from becoming lobbyists. He also proposes barring lobbyists from giving gifts to lawmakers, and prohibiting lobbyists and special interest groups from making political donations. In addition to this, he advocates instituting term limits for representatives and senators.
References
- Smith, Jeffrey R. (December 9, 2011). "In Jack Abramoff's memoir, 'Capitol Punishment,' an unrepentant reformer?". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 9, 2012.
- ^ Lowenfeld, Jonah (March 8, 2012). "Destitute: The new Jack Abramoff". Jewish Journal. Retrieved March 9, 2012.
- James, Frank (November 18, 2011). "Jack Abramoff: From Corrupt Lobbyist To Washington Reformer". NPR. Retrieved May 5, 2012.
- ^ "Jack Abramoff Calls D.C. Politics Dirty As Ever". NPR. November 18, 2011. Retrieved March 9, 2012.
- ^ Froomkin, Dan (November 1, 2011). "Jack Abramoff Takes Shots At Enemies And Protects Friends In New Book". Huffington Post. Retrieved March 13, 2012.
External links
- Jack Abramoff (2011). Capitol Punishment: The Hard Truth About Washington Corruption From America’s Most Notorious Lobbyist. Washington, D.C.: WND Books. ISBN 978-1-936488-44-5.
- After Words interview with Abramoff on Capitol Punishment, January 7, 2012