Filthy Rich Politicians - by Matt Lewis (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Journalist Matt Lewis exposes the ludicrous nature of money in politics and offers readers a better path forward for keeping their elected leaders accountable to the people they are supposed to be representing. A lot has changed since the Founding Fathers first envisioned a country where elected leaders arrived in Washington, performed their civic duty as public servants, and returned home. Today's politicians are an unsavory lot-a hybrid of plutocrats and hypocrites. There are those who leveraged their riches to win their coveted elected positions, and there are those who leveraged their elected positions to grow incredibly wealthy-often while decrying the evils of "income inequality." This is the ruling class we see today. The financial disparity between our leaders and our neighbors is huge. Unfortunately, the ruling-class elites have a vested financial interest in refusing to promote the reforms so desperately needed to rebuild Americans' trust. And the question remains: Why are so many people in Congress so rich-and how did they get that way? To answer that question, we need to follow the money. In Filthy Rich Politicians, journalist Matt Lewis embarks on an investigative deep dive into the ridiculous state of modern American democracy-a system where the rich get elected and the elected get rich. Through examining the Latte Liberals, Ivy League Populists, Insider Traders, Trust-Fund Babies, and Swamp Creatures infesting Washington, Lewis shows with his trademark humor and wit how our so-called public servants are indulging in hypocrisy, taking advantage of the system, and eroding our trust in the institutions that once made America great. In order to preserve the American system, citizens should not believe the game is rigged. Achieving this level of trust will require common-sense reforms. And if Americans demand transparency and accountability from their elected leaders, Lewis believes that this trust can be restored"--]cProvided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

From one of America's sharpest political journalists is this searing, thought-provoking and hilarious takedown of the ruling class running amok in Washington.

These are your elected officials. Some are slyly taking advantage of the system. They are hoping no one is savvy enough to notice. But Matt Lewis has. And this is what he's learned.

Today's politicians are an unsavory lot--a hybrid of plutocrats and hypocrites. And it's worse (and more laughable) than you can imagine. Lewis will introduce you to a crop of latte liberals, ivy league populists, insider traders, trust-fund babies, and swamp creatures as he exposes how truly ludicrous money in politics has gotten.

In Filthy Rich Politicians, Lewis embarks on an investigative deep dive into the ridiculous state of modern American democracy--a system where the rich get elected and the elected get rich. One of the brightest conservative writers of his generation, Lewis doesn't just complain: he articulates how Americans can achieve accountability from their elected leaders through radically commonsense reforms. But many of these ruling-class elites have a vested financial interest in rejecting the reforms so desperately needed to rebuild Americans' trust in the institutions that once made our nation great.

This is not an "eat the rich" kind of book, and it is not for those who want to stoke class warfare, topple the whole regime, and burn it all to the ground. This is a must-read book for thoughtful readers who yearn for transparency and will commit to holding their elected leaders accountable to those they are supposed to represent--we the people.

The reforms spelled out in this book would incentivize good behavior in our leaders, stymie corruption, and prevent politicians from using the system (and our taxpayer dollars) to feather their filthy rich nests.

It is only by taking these steps to reform the system that we can rebuild trust in our institutions and preserve American democracy for future generations. There really is no richer inheritance we could leave them.

Review Quotes

"With his new book, [Lewis] performs a valued public service, shining a searing light on the gap between the elites of both parties and the citizenry in whose name they claim to govern...Lewis's book is breezy and readable. Better yet, it strafes them all. The Bidens and Clintons, the Trumps and Kushners, right and left - all get savaged."--The Guardian

"Matt Lewis takes no prisoners in this powerful book exposing politicos on both sides of the aisle. A must read."--Peter Schweizer, bestselling author of Throw Them All Out and Clinton Cash

"How our class of politicians got so rich, and what should be done about it, are questions that have long deserved the thoughtful attention Matt Lewis gives them. You'll howl--but you'll also learn."--Ramesh Ponnuru, editor of National Review

"Matt is one of the few people who could have told this story in a way that anyone can hear it. While he is relentless in exposing how politics has become both fueled by and an engine for extreme wealth, he is never bitter, angry, or cruel."--Batya Ungar-Sargon, author of Bad News: How Woke Media Is Undermining Democracy

"Political books aren't supposed to be funny. Funny books aren't supposed to be political. How Matt Lewis has managed to write a book about politics that's both funny and wise is a puzzle that can only be solved by reading it--which you should do, preferably before next election day."--Andrew Ferguson, contributing writer at The Atlantic and author of Crazy U: One Dad's Crash Course in Getting His Kid into College

"The most important crisis in American political life is the massive breach between the country's tiny ruling class and everyone else. In Filthy Rich Politicians, Matt Lewis adeptly unites his personal experiences, user-friendly prose and ample data to provide an indispensable diagnosis of how and why this happened, along with solutions which are both provocative and thought-provoking."--Glenn Greenwald, journalist, author, host of System Update, and cofounder of The Intercept

About the Author

Matt K. Lewis is a senior columnist at The Daily Beast and the author of Too Dumb to Fail: How the GOP Betrayed the Reagan Revolution to Win Elections (And How It Can Reclaim Its Conservative Roots). A frequent guest on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" and a former CNN political contributor (from 2016-2020), Matt has provided political commentary on HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher," CBS News' "Face the Nation," C-SPAN, PBS NewsHour, and ABC's "Nightline," to name a few. Matt's writing has appeared in outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, GQ, The Washington Post, The Week, Roll Call, Politico, The Telegraph, The Independent, and The Guardian--and he has been quoted or cited by major media outlets including New York Magazine, The Washington Post, The New York Times, the New York Post, and the Associated Press.

Matt previously served as senior contributor for The Daily Caller and, before that, as a columnist for AOL's Politics Daily. Matt currently hosts his own podcast and YouTube show, "Matt Lewis & The News," which features interviews with some of America's top thinkers, authors, and newsmakers. He also co-hosts The DMZ show on Bloggingheads.TV. Matt grew up in Frederick County, Maryland, and graduated from Shepherd College (now Shepherd University) in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. He lives with his family in Charles Town, West Virginia.