An interesting (if alarming) companion piece to the Brent Wilkes profile below is this article from the Los Angeles Times about the "Triangle Trade" between six California congressman, business interests, and well-connected lobbyists.

The article cites examples of each of the congress member's involvment in the triangle, which the author identifies as "a new reality" wherein "a new career track has developed that enables ambitious individuals to move rapidly from modestly compensated congressional staff jobs to astronomical lobbying fees [...]. The insider connection makes the lobbyists valuable to clients, and the lobbyists' connections to potential campaign donors is valuable to lawmakers."

And of course it's legal - while scandal tends to garner the most attention, this kind of influence and favor-trading continues to go, with little action from Congress to halt what is clearly a deeply flawed practice designed to benefit a very few.