It has been long “known” and is now being laid bare by DOGE that political corruption is ubiquitous throughout Washington. We can never hope to have an efficient and fair government as long as people who are susceptible to greed and wrongdoing are in positions where the temptation for corruption and the benefits of malfeasance outweigh the penalties or likely punishments.
The aspiration to public office should be reserved for the truly honorable who wish to serve their nation and not merely to enrich themselves. Anyone who has even an inkling of corruption should abstain from seeking public office.
THEREFORE, I propose that a law be passed that if someone in public office is found to have engaged in obvious and egregious corrupt activity, e.g. has taken money for influence or political decision-making or has inappropriately and illegally benefited financially in a significant way, from their actions while in service to the country, their wrongful actions will be deemed as treason and punishable according to the laws of treason.
Due to the inherent weakness of the human condition, it is not reasonable to assume that politicians will be able to control themselves unless the punishment for getting caught is sufficiently high to dissuade them from wrongdoing.