Turkmeniscam

by Ken Silverstein

"As I have often said, I would represent the devil himself for the right price--it's not personal, just business."--a Washington, D.C., lobbyistFor nearly as long as there have been politicians in the United States, there have been lobbyists haunting the halls of Congress--shaking hands, bearing gifts, and brandishing agendas. Everyone knows how the back-scratching game of money, power, and PR is played. For a good enough offer, there are those who will gladly dive into the dirtiest political waters. The real question is: Just how low will they sink? Veteran investigative journalist Ken Silverstein made it his mission to find out--and "Turkmeniscam" was born.On assignment for Harper's magazine, and armed with a fistful of fake business cards, Silverstein went deep undercover as a corporate henchman with money to burn and a problem to solve: transforming the former Soviet-bloc nation Turkmenistan--branded "one of the worst totalitarian systems in the world"--into a Capitol Hill-friendly