[relkor]

This buying the government is terrifyingly real. In university I once went to a dinner/seminar hosted by one of the top three law firms in DC, where we were instructed on how exactly to bribe congressmen. It turns out to buy a vote, a Representative is 10k and a Senator is 20k. They walked us through how we could give bonuses to employees with the understanding that part of that money would be written as maximum individual size checks to the campaigns. We were assured that it was not illegal as long as these bonuses and donations to not match in space and time. The law firm offered to prepare the appropriation text to be inserted into an omnibus. Then once it passed the money would be laundered through the Dept of Education, the Dept Labor, the Dept of Defense, or other Dept that would take a 15% cut for the service. Then we would be awarded the money, or get a tax credit, or so on. The law firm charged another 15% for their service, and would charge half now half on delivery.

This is the instruction that the children of the ruling elite are getting at Ivy Leagues, it permeates the entire culture of the privileged class.

[DrScump]

  We were assured that it was not illegal as long as these
  bonuses and donations to not match in space and time.

It's absolutely illegal. What he was apparently trying to convey is that it you are less likely to be caught if the contributions are spread out.

[relkor]

Yes that is true, bribery is illegal and this kind of conspiracy is bad. But if you spread it out and do not put anything in writing, it will be hell for the IRS to prove this. And if you are the type of person who attended this, you have a personal lawyer that you got when you turned 16. It will be very difficult to ever press this to a conviction. And remember, the various departments of the executive branch are in on this, they are the ones laundering the money and further removing it from the original bill that released the funds from the treasury.