Pay-to-Play Politics: How Corporate Power Weaponizes Government | The Brief

Steve Keller says he built a multibillion-dollar life settlement business — then became the target of a federal case after disrupting the insurance industry’s business model.

In this highlight from The Brief, Keller explains how life settlements work, why he says major insurance interests wanted him gone, and how he came to believe Washington’s pay-to-play system allows corporations to use political influence and federal power against competitors. From the DOJ to lobbying firms to the line “you’ve got to pay to play,” Keller lays out the story behind his book Pay to Play: Political Corruption, Corporate Greed, and the Cost of the American Dream.