Captured - by Sheldon Whitehouse (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A leading member of the Senate Judiciary Committee "spells out, in considerable detail, the extent of corporate influence over a variety of issues" in national politics (The New Yorker)

As a U.S. senator and former federal prosecutor, Sheldon Whitehouse has had a front-row seat for the spectacle of dark money in government. In his widely praised book Captured, he describes how corporations buy influence over our government- not only over representatives and senators, but over the very regulators directly responsible for enforcing the laws under which these corporations operate, and over the judges and prosecutors who are supposed to be vigilant about protecting the public interest.

In a case study that shows these operations at work, Whitehouse reveals how fossil fuel companies have held any regulation related to climate change at bay. The problem is structural: as Kirkus Reviews wrote, "many of the ills it illuminates are bipartisan."

This paperback edition features a new preface by the author that reveals how corporate influence has taken advantage of Donald Trump's presidency to advance its agenda-and what we can do about it.

Review Quotes

Praise for Captured:
"Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island has built his career around the seemingly unrelated issues of climate change and money in politics. His new book reveals how intimately connected they turn out to be."
-Jeffrey Toobin, The New Yorker

"No, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse doesn't believe that corporations are people. No, he doesn't think that corporations are bad. But, yes, he does want them out of American politics."
-The Boston Globe

"An eye-opening take on what corporate influence looks like today."
-Publishers Weekly

"Tells hard truths about the central threat posed by the role of the rich . . . and how it is overwhelming democracy."
-Liz Kennedy, Center for American Progress

"An extraordinarily intelligent and wide-ranging critique of the current state of our political and economic affairs. This book reminds me distinctly of the great muckraking texts of the progressive era-texts that really shook up the status quo in the American polity and economy. And I truly believe that this book has the potential to be one of those much needed historic calls-to-action. . . . Bravo!"
-William Novak, Charles F. and Edith J. Clyne Professor of Law, University of Michigan Law School

Praise for Senator Sheldon Whitehouse:
"Sheldon Whitehouse is one of the most respected and thoughtful progressives in the Senate. His energy and enthusiasm make him a powerful voice in defending our American democracy against the relentless, pervasive-and often hidden-power of corporate special interests."
-Senator Elizabeth Warren

"For climate activists-or really anyone who thinks climate change is a problem-there's a lot to love about Senator Sheldon Whitehouse."
-Think Progress

"An elected official who speaks the truth."
-Janet Larson, Earth Policy Institute

About the Author

Sheldon Whitehouse represents Rhode Island in the U.S. Senate. He has served as his state's United States Attorney and as the state Attorney General, as well as its top business regulator. Sheldon worked for years as a young staff lawyer in the Attorney General's office. He has been a successful and unsuccessful political candidate, held several senior staff positions for a governor, run local referendum races, and been a longtime environmental advocate. He has led government reforms, most significantly an overhaul of the state workers compensation system, a "separation of powers" constitutional reform, and an opening of state pension records. He has practiced law, tried cases to a jury, argued appeals (including in the United States Supreme Court), and litigated in federal and state administrative agencies. Sheldon grew up in a Foreign Service family. He lives in Newport with his wife, a marine scientist, and his grown children when they visit.Melanie Wachtell Stinnett is a Boston-based writer and former Director of Policy and Communications at the Tobin Project. She has previously published on regulatory policy and Supreme Court litigation trends.