PROFILES IN CORRUPTION: A best-selling author chronicles the abuse of power by America's progressive elite.

• Author: Fischer, Carolyn M.
• Position: POLITICAL LANDSCAPE

COFOUNDER and president of the Government Accountability Institute and former William J. Casey Fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution, Peter Schweizer has authored or coauthored more than a dozen books exposing crony capitalism, misuse of taxpayer dollars, and other governmental corruption or malfeasance among progressive politicians. A No. 1 New York Times bestselling author, Schweizer produces meticulously researched and scrupulously documented work.

In his latest book, Profiles in Corruption: Abuse of Power by America's Progressive Elite, Schweizer "profiles" six progressive politicians, assuring readers that much of what they will learn will be "strikingly new." Even followers of the news will be "startled" by rarely mentioned facts about progressive politicians prominently in the national spotlight.

The media's fixation on Donald Trump--Schweizer terms it "Trump Vortex"--has given journalists little incentive to investigate other politicians, especially those who aspire to government office. Approaching exclusionary media coverage of Trump gives the false impression no other politicians have done anything "ethically suspect"; therefore, they do not warrant media coverage.

"A progressive Democrat to his core," presidential nominee Joe Biden has made politics a big part of his life since 1972, when, at 29, he was elected a U.S. senator from Delaware. Schweizer charges Biden with using political position and power to give family members "highly lucrative deals they otherwise would not get." Biden's political activities always have been a "family operation." From his father, Biden learned the admirable precept, "family comes first," but "family first" cannot excuse favoritism or abuse of power.

Biden, then vice president, somewhat passively aided family members with travel on Air Force Two. In March 2009, when Biden went to Costa Rica for a meeting planning the Fifth Summit of the Americas conference, brother Frank, who had deals going in that country, hitched a ride on the VP's flight. Within a year, The Costa Rica News featured an article naming Frank Biden in partnership "to reform Real Estate in Latin America." Costa Rica's government, "eager to cooperate with the vice president's brother," awarded contracts to Frank's solar company, Sun Fund Americas.

In 2013, Hunter Biden flew with his father to Beijing, China--the Vice President on government business, Hunter "supposedly" for a deal with the government-owned bank of China. Hunter later informed ABC News that "he did no business during that trip." Ten days later, Rosemont Seneca, Hunter's firm, finalized a contract with China for $1,000,000,000. Schweizer notes the Vice President's "attitude toward China seemed to soften," and Hunter continued to cultivate deals with China as well as Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

Although Frank and Hunter Biden were the prime users of the Vice President's name and influence, the "lesser" Bidens never missed an opportunity to "cash in" on their...