“payoffs to those in sordid affairs”
Unfortunately, yes, that has been going on with members of Congress. There has been a hush money slush fund for years for affairs while in office.
What’s different here is that the hush money was paid to benefit a campaign for elective office, and then not declared.
Doesn’t it seem ridiculous that we want to clean up elections but not the behaviors of the elected?
The Clintons and Gore took all kinds of illicit funds from people like Riady, Huang - I can’t even remember all the names! The candidates’ punishment is they have to return the money. The donor’s punishments are prison sentences.
But of course, the politicians wrote the laws so they wrote it such that they get a slap on the wrist for taking bribes, but those who give bribes go to Leavenworth. Seems backwards, doesn’t it?