Undercover camera captures lawmakers selling access to lobbyists
Laguna Beach, California (CNN) - On any given weekend, lobbyists in Washington head for the airport to jet off to luxurious locations across the country.
Destinations include Napa Valley in California for wine tasting, Wyoming for fly fishing and any number of spas, golf courses, even exclusive hunting trips.
They are invited to these weekend retreats by members of Congress and their political action committees.
The cost of accepting the invite is a political donation of anywhere from $1,500 to $5,000. And that doesn't include the cost of travel and lodging at some of the most posh resorts in the United States.
Why go? Lobbyists tell CNN there is no better access to a member of Congress and his or her top staff than spending a relaxing weekend with them, away from Capitol Hill.
It used to be that lobbyists would take politicians on trips, but when rules were changed and that was outlawed, politicians and their fund-raisers came up with this variation - organize the trips and invite the lobbyists along to pay for them.
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