Lobbying is about foresight...
about anticipating your opponents'
moves and devising countermeasures.
The winner plots one step
ahead of the opposition...
and plays their trump card
just after they play theirs.
You better not be saying
that when you're in there.
It's about making sure you surprise them...
and they don't surprise you.
I'm going to ask you again:
Ms. Sloane, could you please
describe the nature of your work?
On the advice of counsel, I respectfully
decline to answer your question...
based on my rights under the Fifth
Amendment of the United States Constitution.
Those words; when you're not taking
the oath or confirming details;
those words, in that order,
are all you're going to say.
On average, would you say you bribe public
officials more or less than once a month?
Upon the advice of Counsel...
can I deviate slightly?
On the advice of Counsel?
On the advice of my Attorney?
Do not... Ok, ok, I understand.
That last one's too adventurous for you.
This would be a whole lot easier
if I could just shout: Fifth!
They want you behind bars.
You make one statement, you correct
one nefarious allegation... that's it!
You waive your right to defend and
you're compelled to answer everything.
They're taking you to the woodshed
in front of the national press...
They're going to rile you so bad, they'd
make Gandhi want to cut their tongues out.
Did you arrange for benefits such as travel,
luxury accommodations, and sports tickets...
to be furnished to members of
Congress at the behest of your clients?
Did you arrange for benefits such as travel,
luxury accommodations, and sports tickets...
Daniel! When I take the stand,
you'll see nothing but a granite wall.
Good.
Ms. Sloane!
Nothing to say, guys. Thank you.
This is tight. You'd think they would
choose a more appropriate venue.
Well,
it turns out The Nationals had a home game.
Good morning,
I am Senator Ronald Sperling...
Chair of this hearing... Ms. Sloane?
Please raise your right hand.
Do you solemnly swear that
you will tell the truth,
the whole truth and nothing but the truth...
under pains and penalties of perjury?
I do. Please sit.
Will the witness state her
full name for the record?
Madeline Elizabeth Sloane. Louder, please!
Madeline Elizabeth Sloane!
And could the witness please confirm
that these details are accurate?
Uhh, date of birth: July 12, 1976, Address:
Ste 504, Watergate S, 700 New Hampshire Ave,
NW Washington DC Correct.
You were employed by Cole,
Kravitz & Waterman LLP.
For a 10 year period between 2006 & 2016,
before moving on... Eleven year period!
Excuse me?
There are 11 years between 2006 & 2016.
What was the nature of your work with Cole,
Kravitz & Waterman LLP.?
Upon the advice of Counsel,
I must respectfully
decline to answer your question...
based on my rights under the Fifth
Amendment to the US Constitution.
Did you, October 12th of last
year accept as a client...
the government of the
Asian Republic of Indonesia,
for the purpose of campaigning against
the levy of additional Federal duties...
on the importation of palm
oil... into the United States?
Upon the advice of Counsel,
I must respectfully
decline to answer your question...
based on my rights under the Fifth
Amendment to the US Constitution.
Today is a landmark day.
Do you know why? Because I'm free.
Name one thing you can do today that
you couldn't have done yesterday.
Quit my job. You could have done that
yesterday but it would have been stupid.
- I can quit today...
- It'd still be stupid.
You clear a college debt and
celebrate by enrolling in Post-Grad?
Academia is more my scene.
You didn't follow me into the crapper
to gloat about freedom, Jane...
Talk to me about the Nutella tax.
We're really calling it the Nutella tax?
Palm oil is the key ingredient in Nutella,
The Federal government taxes it at 300%,
it'll cost more for us
to gorge ourselves on it.
Isn't palm oil in pretty much everything?
We could've called it the Soap tax...
but the public cares more
about Nutella than they do soap.
Anyway, we get 4 more Senators
to come out against the Bill,...
we can lean on Jacobs to withdraw it.
What are you gonna do?
Tell the Indonesians they're
gonna host Senator Jacobs
on a field trip to one of their plantations.
You never washed your hands.
He'll take the wife and kids
on a tropical vacation...
come back,
hailing their conservation efforts.
His Bill dies a quiet death.
If the Indonesian Government pays for it,
it's illegal...
get this nonprofit C3 to sponsor
the travel, it's perfectly legal...
as long the trip is
for educational purposes.
But the Indonesian Government
is still paying for it.
See, this is why I'm still
thinking about post-grad.
Jane, we go to school to prepare us for the
real world. Not sure I like the real world.
So you want to bury your head in Socrates?
You know that Socrates never
actually wrote anything?
That's besides the point. If you don't like
it, you change it... that's why you're here.
Ms. Sloane,
they're ready for you in the Conference Room.
Hey, Spencer!
Do you know that Americans care
more about Nutella than they do about soap?
Uh, ok. See that? No reaction.
Ok guys, we gotta be quick this morning.
I've got a meeting to get to.
How many are they
expecting at the IMF rally?
Between 500 and 1000.
That's a margin of 100%. Does that mean
that technically, no one might show up?
500 is the minimum,
the rest depends on weather.
Seems more people hate banks when the
sun's out. What's the weather forecast?
Liz, time we sold Jacobs on Indonesia.
I know.
When Henry falls, we've got critical mass.
I'm aware of it.
Get a nonprofit to sponsor a vacation.
They give him face and he'll pull it.
Did you just come from the Ladies Room? Uhh,
I have no idea what you're talking about.
We're talking about
numbers at the IMF rally.
Alright, Alex, put Metro talent on notice...
we may need reinforcements. I'm on it.
We really going to use movie extras?
The guy shouting about corporate greed...
becomes a lot less credible standing
next to a hobo from Central Casting...
holding a banner that reads: "Abolish
money." "Shit Is Fucked Up And Bullshit."
Best banner at Oqupai.
Tell me that was one of ours.
Oh no, that was creative
way beyond my capabilities.
Franklin?
Shmallow Cakes? Uh, yeah.
The Sales Tax is on cakes and
cookies or only one of those?
I don't know.
You don't know?
Alright everybody, listen up,
I'm going to tell you a story. Please, no!
A priest is giving a young nun a
lift home from church one day...
and as he's shifting gears,
he rests his hand on the nun's knee...
This is offensive and inappropriate.
The young nun looks up at the priest
and says: "Father, remember Luke 14:10."
The priest withdraws his hand, embarrassed.
Next time they stop at a light, he places
his hand a little higher up on her thigh.
The nun says: "Remember Luke 14:10, Father."
The priest apologizes:
"The flesh is weak", he says...
So he drops her off and when he gets home,
he reaches for his Bible
and he flips to Luke 14:10.
Anyone know what it says?
Hm? What does it say, Pat?
"Friend, come up higher,
then shalt thou have glory."
Know your subject, people!
Failure to do so may result in
the loss of a golden opportunity.
When I see you this afternoon, you better be
ready to recite that Tax Code in Esperanto.
I'm told I should offer my hand.
What's it mean?
Well, when we meet, I'm told that she
doesn't care for all that kissy...
kissy stuff that most
women do these days.
You two have never met?
Oh,
we've been to several of the same functions,
yeah, but we've never been introduced.
In a town this small, how does that happen?
So, should I offer my hand?
I wouldn't worry about it.
Liz! Good morning.
Bill Sandford.
I'm amazed it's taken this long.
Well, you know, I wanted to introduce
myself at the Free Enterprise Dinner...
but... you were the 1st one out the door!
Minor crisis on the Hill!
Well, a lesser commander would
have left that to his soldier...
which is the reason I'm here.
Why exactly are you here?
Killing bills like Keaton-Harris,
that's food and drink to you guys.
So read it?
Nope... but I know what it is... it's a
bipartisan gun bill requiring
universal background checks..
On ALL sales of firearms.
Now c'mon, a father to son,
lifelong friends?
It just means longer delays.
It's some kind of Big Brother...
type criminal, mental health database...
an unconstitutional fetter
on the Second Amendment which...
as you said, we will eat for breakfast.
Mr. Sandford,
I deal primarily in taxation and.
Federal Government interference in
free enterprise. I'm aware, I'm aware.
But I'll tell you, the reputation
that you have garnered for yourself...
we were just looking for
an excuse to engage you..
Ok! Let's have it!
Women.
Our polling data is telling us that we're
not connecting with the female voter, so...
we want to change the narrative...
from mothers losing their kids to guns...
to mothers protecting
their kids with guns...
from a battered wife
threatened by a bullet...
to fending off her
violent husband with a .38.
Guns as tools of female empowerment..
What's the saying? God created humans.
Samuel Colt made 'em equal.
Now Liz, imagine a new
organization pitched at women...
who are deterred by the strong
rhetoric of the Second Amendment groups...
and by our association
with the political right.
But no links us, no baggage...
no overt position on guns...
and you will build it up
you will drive it's agenda...
and slowly but surely,
you will turn those members into paid-up
guardians of the Second Amendment.
So what?
Mothers for a safer America?
Achieved by a big, every last
citizen is armed to the teeth.
Liz... Jesus!
Is this the reputation I've garnered?
Gold medalist in ethical limbo?
I see no ethical problem
with re-framing an issue.
Trying to win the female vote
by taking the gun lobby and
dressing it up in a frilly, pink frock.
That is so crude...
it could only have originated in a
room full of old men. Well, it didn't!
This is my own idea.
Well, my advice is to kill it In Utero.
You'll need more than the trite
wisdom that we value security...
to get us behind your
views on the Second Amendment.
Well, the fact remains that,
when it comes to the female voter,
our numbers need to be better.
I see.
Well, why don't I take a look at the
numbers and then we will proceed from there.
Who the hell does she think she is?
It can be spun...
for the purpose of gaining trust,
it may have been the right tactical move.
And do you believe, for 1 nanosecond,
that was at the forefront of her mind...
when she told him to take his
business and shove it up his gun barrel?
Candice, I want Sloane in my office now!
She's good, isn't she?
You'll look at the numbers.
I'm sure the president of one of the most
powerful groups on the
Hill will be honored...
that Her Majesty has agreed
to look at the fucking numbers!
What's going on with you?
The current system is so porous it floats.
I don't remember you caring ever,
one way or another, about guns.
My position solidified somewhere
between Columbine and Charleston.
Come on, George, any headcase,
felon or terrorist...
can buy an assault rifle from a gun show,
the Internet or his buddy
at the Bowl-O-Rama...
without so much as an ID.
Heaton-Harris puts a stop to that.
Christ, Liz, this is the gun lobby.
Do you have any idea how long
I've been trying to reel them in?
Now, something happened.
Someone you know was a
victim of a gun crime.
Nonsense, I just formed an opinion.
You're the champion of the free market.
You abhor frivolous government intervention.
How do you categorize responsible
gun laws as frivolous...
Indonesia!
For Christ's sake, you rep Indonesia!
To stop our government from looting
one of their few sources of income.
I mean, what is wrong with Indonesia?
We're about to secure Al
Jacobs with a field trip there.
Is that a promise or a threat?
I can just picture the good Senator
being boiled in a cauldron...
with all these natives
dancing around him.
Get back to your Fortune 500 clients...
Your colorful interventions are the cause of
a lot of industry backchat
this firm can do without..
I work on behalf of causes I believe in.
That's how I sleep at night.
You don't sleep at night! You sit and
obsess about winning, no matter the cause.
Those little pills in your purse are
not the kind that lull you to sleep.
The only reason you and your team of
gum-chewing ragamuffins are here...
is that your arrogant pranks
might generate enough buzz...
to attract clients like Bill Sandford.
Meaning, if you don't dedicate
yourself to his cause..
This firm won't have any use for you.
Now go away. Look into those numbers.
Start getting women into guns!
Any dizziness, nausea?
No. That's what you always do.
Doctor, I'm fine. If my insurance
company weren't such sticklers,
we wouldn't even be
having this conversation.
What time are you getting to sleep?
I sleep a lot. It varies.
What time did you get to sleep last night?
Did you get any sleep at all?
These are busy times.
You don't need a doctor to tell you that
you're working yourself into an early grave.
The long hours, the...
Ok, when you just called me just now,
what number did you dial? Your home number.
Cell is off, cocoa is on the stove,
book is on my bedside...
I'll be asleep in under two hours.
Thanks for calling, Doctor.
The Republican Party,
he can help you out in California...
Good. Sir, good evening.
I want you to meet Senator Davidson.
I appreciate your
contribution on fund-raising.
I expect to see you next month.
That would be great!
Early night? If you're looking for a quote,
you're wasting your time.
I just watched you extricate
yourself from 3 conversations
to use the Ladies'
Room in the space of 30 minutes..
You busted me: I'm incontinent. Write it up!
I hope I'm wrong but one might
think you're sick of this town.
You're from the Post. How did you get in?
I'd just like 5 minutes of your time. Fine.
The walk to my car is 3. Get to the point.
The word on the Hill is that the gun lobby
approached you over
Heaton-Harris and you refused.
I don't comment on "word on the Hill."
I know the only way you do that
is if you support the bill..
That's quite a story:
turning down a prize client...
because you can't accept
what they stand for.
Elizabeth Sloane,
the "Conviction Lobbyist", who knew?
I said get to the point.
Will you admit that the
present system is broken?
I remain committed to the Second Amendment.
Dildoes are illegal in Texas...
but Joe Public can walk into a sports
store and walk out with a shotgun.
That would explain the low rate
of dildo-related murders in Texas.
Ok, it wasn't that funny.
What do you want? Your quote.
Fine. Eh, conviction Lobbyists need
only believe in their ability to win.
That's a keeper.
One more thing: off the record, what do
you know about the gun lobby's opponents?
The Brady Campaign? I know they're going
to lose because their total budget...
is less than what the gun lobby
pays to get their shoes shined.
What about the lobbyist
Peterson-Wyatt?
They're a boutique,
bipartisan and government affairs agency.
Boutique is a euphemism for little fish.
Bipartisan denotes a
bunch of hippies in suits.
Do you know anything about their CEO,
a guy named Schmidt?
Nope, never heard of him
but if the firm is built...
built in his image,
I'm sure he's a simpering wuss
with a PhD in style over substance. Got it.
I never introduced myself, by the way.
Name's Rodolfo Schmidt, CEO, Peterson Wyatt.
What's the matter?
I'm not simpering hard enough?
If your firm's 12 years old, I think
your name would be Peterson or what...
What is this about?
You're pro Heaton-Harris.
It's an open secret you're at
war with your firm's leadership.
The Brady Campaign wants you to
lead the fight to pass the Bill.
You'd run defense out of our office,
when it's over...
you can choose from any of the DC
behemoths lining up for your signature.
This is Peterson-Wyatt's
quote for your services.
I don't know if I should be
flattered or insulted, Mr. Schmidt...
but you clearly have
the wrong opinion of me.
I think my opinion of you is right-on.
Don't tell me you don't want to take
a swing at this. Goodbye, Mr. Schmidt.
Where's your car?
Should be at the valet
by now. I don't drive.
(A conviction Lobbyist can only
believe in her ability to win.)
Hi, Jane... yeah, I know what time it is.
Listen, uhh,
if Socrates never wrote anything,
how is it anyone's ever heard of him?
Look, we need a meeting.
Where are they putting Senator Jacobs?
Lombok lodge?
Yes.
It's on the beach?
Yes. Good.
This goes off to the
Senate ethics committee.
Once they authorize travel,
Jacobs is on a plane.
Is that ok? It's fine. Technically, I mean?
Don't worry about it.
It's just that as lobbyists,
we can't be involved in...
arranging overseas travel
for members of Congress.
I read ethics regs when I want to look busy.
Well,
if you weren't just pretending to be busy,
you'd know that the workaround
is to get this to the nonprofit,
have them sign it and file
it with the Ethics Committee.
Do I seem unduly concerned? Ok.
George told me what happened with Sandford.
Are you retarded? Why are you eating
a chocolate cake for breakfast?
Have you no shame? It's a muffin!
You never had a muffin for breakfast?
A muffin? Let's see: eggs, milk,
flour, sugar, cocoa powder, chocolate.
That sounds exactly like a cake!
But of course, no civilized person would
ever eat a chocolate cake for breakfast.
You've lost your mind.
Franklin, you gettin' this?
Cause I'm really talking to you.
Huh? Shmallow cakes are not cakes.
They're a marshmallow paste sandwich
between 2 cookies covered in chocolate.
While our Tax Code deems cakes luxury items,
it hits them harder.
Cookies are obviously
necessities and therefore exempt.
You gettin' this? What?
Have Shmallow cakes redesignated as cookies.
Argue "cake"
in the name is really marketing puff.
You need evidence in court?
We get a team of scientists
to apply the very fact:
80% cookie and 0% cake.
That's how you win.
You, you knew that all along?
You would have gotten there eventually.
Then why are you telling me this?
In case you're not coming with me.
What's going on?
Alright, everyone,
I called you here to announce...
that, effective immediately,
I am leaving Cole Kravitz
and starting work as the lead consultant
for the Brady Campaign at Peterson Wyatt.
I've secured positions
for everyone in this room
without changing your current compensation.
So who's with me on this?
I just spent the last hour wiping
your shit off Bill Sandford's shoes.
Assuring him that your the right
lady to broaden his membership.
We're INCHES from a green fuckin' light!
So you're saying I should put you down as a
"Maybe"?
You can't possibly win this. Who's with me?
I'm with you. Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!
Ross! Hey, come on! I need you!
She needs me more. Alex!
Lauren!
What the fuck is this? Jerry Maguire?
You've seen Jerry Maguire?
Guns frighten me.
So Sloane and Coe versus
Connors and who else?
O'Hara, Wickman, Moore, the God Squad...
Ramirez,
how many TEC-9's you own again?
Enough to defend my property.
Plus 2 more to piss off the lefties.
Alright, Jane,
contact Rodolfo Schmidt at Peterson Wyatt...
and tell him there is a
total of 6 coming over.
I count five. Mathematician, you are not.
Who said I was coming? I did. Call Rodolfo.
What if I'm staying? Oh, Jesus!
Now is not the time to develop
a sense of humor, Jane.
That's good, cause I'm not.
Seriously, kid, go. I could care less.
You were right before, about post-grad.
Maybe it is a cop-out.
I'm at one of the best firms in the city.
Your reputation might survive a
move to some 3rd tier outfit...
to fight a losing battle. Mine won't.
No shit? I take it back.
I have learned a lot from you
these last couple of years, Liz.
I'll miss you.
The 3AM wakeup calls... not so much.
You've obviously learned
more than you let on.
You showed more ambition in the last 60
seconds than I've seen in the last 2 years,
but you are delusional if you
think you can survive without me.
If we butt heads on this,
don't think I'll show you any compassion.
With that in mind. I will give you
a final opportunity to reconsider..
Alright,
I'm off to say my goodbye to the money man.
When this town guts you like a trout
and chokes you with your own entrails...
don't come sniveling to me.
We'll come back to the Asian
Republic of Indonesia later but...
you see, what troubles me is
the amount of influence you have.
We've seen communications from
senior figures in Washington...
who feared that you, a lobbyist...
could destroy their careers
with a snap of your fingers.
Is this reputation something
you've cultivated, Ms. Sloane?
Upon the advice of counsel,
I must respectfully decline
to answer your question...
based on my rights under the Fifth
Amendment of the US Constitution.
You see, it's bad enough one person
having that much influence...
but if they're out of control,
if she has a problem, an addiction...
Well, it would be like the ship of American
politics is being steered by a drunk.
Do you, or have you ever had any
problems with substance abuse?
Upon the advice of counsel,
I must respectfully decline
to answer your question...
based on my rights under the Fifth
Amendment of the US Constitution.
I understand you have difficulty sleeping.
We subpoenaed medical records. You're a
longtime sufferer from chronic insomnia.
You regularly work over 16 hours a day...
but you can't get off to sleep.
Is that accurate?
Upon the advice of Counsel,
I respectfully decli...
I must respectfully decline
to answer your question
based on my rights under the 5
Amendment of the United States...
to the... to the Constitution... Whatever!
You were prescribed multiple
courses of benzodiazepines...
but according to the
deposition of one of witnesses...
you've been procuring, off prescription,
a course of psycho-stimulants
with the aim of keeping
you awake a little longer.
Is this true?
Ms. Sloane?
On the advice of Counsel,
I must respectfully decline
to answer your question...
based on my rights under the Fifth
Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Ok, getting back to this business of
the Asian Republic of Indonesia...
I'm not a drug addict and this line of
questioning has no relevance in this case.
My medication doesn't affect my judgment
any more than a double espresso.
And speaking of intoxication,
I can recite from memory a list...
a list of upstanding, elected Senators
who voted on legislation
while severely inebriated.
And just so you know, I think,
by now, we are fully aware...
..and in no danger of forgetting
that Indonesia is a republic...
which happens to be situated
on the continent of Asia.
Ms. Sloane.
Welcome to the party.
5 years.
Was it really worth it? 5 years minimum.
What's 5 years? All for some puerile
quip about Indonesia being in Asia.
Can't you see that whole construct
was designed to... and it worked!
Are you gonna tell me what 5 years is?
You fell for it!
The smartest operative on the Hill
just got played by Grandpa Simpson.
Is it how long this
conversation is going to take?
It's the going rate for
perjury before Congress.
Now you've thrown out the Fifth,
anyone who wants you in the ground,
that's a lot of people...
they are hard at work...
dedicating their creative
and intellectual efforts
to catching you in a lie.
Well, what if I just stay silent?
Oh, that's a great idea!
Shit, why didn't your lawyer think of that?
If I refuse to answer?
They'll throw you in jail for
contempt of Congress! Shhh!
You've just blown this thing wide open!
Calm down, Daniel.
You're starting to look like you care.
No, I don't care about you any
further than I can throw you.
I work for the one ethical
lobbying practice on the Hill...
and I wind up defending
the..the poster child...
for the most morally bankrupt
profession since faith-healing.
Your car's downstairs... go home.
Stare at the ceiling.
Get ready to be crucified.
I know I don't have the most stellar
record in heeding your advice...
Don't perjure yourself!
Too bad things didn't
pan out with Elizabeth.
2 Months, 3 Weeks prior.
Oh, we have other options. What the hell
is Amish Chicken? A marketing exercise?
No, we\x22ll just try and find
ourselves another lobbyist.
I was talking about the Amish Chicken.
She's your enemy now.
I invited you here because nobody is
better placed to neutralize her than us.
We worked together for years.
We know exactly how she operates.
Oh, that's just a regular bird raised
in Amish country, by the way. Ah!
It tastes better because
it can't use Google, huh?
Look, there's over 5 million
of us and we're armed.
We've beaten this kind of Bill before.
We'll beat it again.
They'll make a lot of noise,
they'll wave their banners.
But in the end, it's so predictable.
She's not predictable.
She aims to surprise.
She'll share things with her team
but she won't share everything.
She'll have a plan for certain
people but they won't know
until they're dropped right
into the middle of it.
There's always something going on with her.
It's just how she works.
We have a good idea which Senators
she'll go for and if we can get in first.
And they're vulnerable on other
members they're already counting on.
Badgley, Michigan...
he can bring maybe six votes.
We get to him... it's a quick win.
Alright, show me some trade-craft!
Filet mignon, rare!
Same, well done!
Well done too. The Arctic Char.
Amish Chicken salad, please.
Excuse me.
That kind kind of insight
is exactly why you're here.
I'm sorry, who closed him again?
Who the hell are you? Evening, maam.
What happened to the usual guy, Mark?
If that is his real name. Mark's moved on.
Call me Ford.
Is that your real name? Is to you.
How about you, gorgeous?
You political or one of
these corporate types?
What brings a fine lady
like you to room 904?
Not the conversation.
How much you had to drink?
Well, a free mini-bar,
I'd say not nearly enough.
Your not allowed to smoke in here.
You're not allowed to buy company
in here and yet here you are.
Smoke is detectable. It
could draw attention.
It is unprofessional!
Ok... corporate type... lawyer maybe?
If we're going to proceed,
I require certain standard...
Agency rules, lady! Payment in cash.
I'm the only on to ever know
this little party here happened.
And that's with half the
minibar down my gullet.
I understand if you were lookin'
for somethin' else.
You'll do fine. Let's get to the point.
Alright.
Hey, I hope you guys don't
feel like you're slumming...
That'd be weirder.
Bean bags, a couple of swings, maybe.
At least tell me you have shower
rooms. Cole Kravitz had shower rooms?
Clients felt they needed
one after 30 minutes of him.
We had all the facilities and no
time to use them. This will do fine.
The vending machine downstairs is weird.
It wouldn't give me my beverage...
until I told it my gender and age range.
The vending machine company sells our
personal details to big advertising.
I already posted a complaint It's ok,
I just lied.
You told that you were an adult male?
Why are you so horrible to him?
Jacobs pulled the Nutella Tax.
When did that happen? I just got it.
The tax on palm oil? You're the ones
that killed it? Dead with the dodo.
Along with how many other unique
species in the Indonesian rain forest?
Not your greatest analogy, there.
Well, I guess it should be up to them.
I mean, it is, after all, their country.
You know how much pollution their slashing
and burning pumps into the atmosphere?
Less than 0.2% of global
greenhouse emissions.
So, are the rumors true?
Yeah, Ross is really one.
Is Sloane the personification
of an ice cube?
She pees standing up and,
like I don't even do that.
Do you think before you speak?
Morning! Morning. Morning!
I was thinking, perhaps we go around
the table? Introduce ourselves?
Let's spare ourselves the tedium. You
want to break the ice? Do it with insight.
We're all here to ensure safe passage of
the Heaton-Harris Bill into Federal law.
How do we do it?
Realistically, we don't.
We fight as hard as we can,
build a strong base of support...
so we have a better
chance when we introduce
the next Heaton-Harris
or the one after that.
Why don't you just move across town with
the aim of losing as slowly as possible?
Name and seniority?
Esme Manucharian... 9 years.
Manucharian, I've heard that name.
Esme is an authority on gun control.
When it comes to facts and figures,
she has no equal.
You led the fight to preserve the
concealed carry ban in Illinois..
Ultimately unsuccessfully... but yes.
Ok, Esme, why are we gonna lose?
For every dollar Brady spends
on campaign contributions...
do you know how much
the gun lobby spends? 38!
So politicians bow to money... but why?
It's not going into their pocket...
that'd be bribery.
Like what the Indonesians
just did to Senator Jacobs?
That was legal bribery for
educational purposes but yes.
A Senator's priority isn't representing
the people. It's keeping his ass in office.
That is so cynical!
Cynical is a word used by PollyAnnas...
to an absence of the naivete
they so keenly exhibit.
Wow. You settle in fast!
If senators only care about
protecting their position...
wouldn't that make them
slaves to public opinion?
Polling data puts a majority of
Americans in favor of Heaton-Harris.
And that's exactly why you keep losing..
Well, this is actually our first
crack at guns but I take your point.
What point? Public opinion is overrated.
Return re-election
for senators was 82%.
The (voter) turnout was 36%
I'll bet most of them were paid up
members of the gun lobby. Thank you!
Our opposition has created a base
of voters vast and fanatical...
who go out and vote exclusively on the
issue of guns. How do we compete with that?
We build our own base of supporters...
who demonstrate a willingness to get their
asses into booths and vote against guns.
What's the best indicator
of voter intention?
Money. Dollars. That's our first prompt.
Grassroots action aimed solely
at soliciting donations.
Not names on a petition.
Not clicks in cyberspace..
Will they know how much we're raising?
Nonprofits have to report on their finances.
But every Congressional staffer
watches Filing Day like a hawk.
While you're out there hustling,
I'll be working influential Senators...
who can deliver their colleagues' votes.
That's our second prompt.
Our third is to identify who
holds sway in target states...
employers, workers' groups...
Don't just waltz into a Senator's
office and make your case,
Find out who they trust...
who they can't afford to piss off.
Convince that person to make your case.
That is how we win.
Not a driver? I can but I don't.
Well, you got further than me.
I don't even have a license.
My bank account and liberal
conscience won't justify my own car.
What's your excuse?
To be honest, I suck at it.
Took my test when I was 16.
Only exam I ever failed.
My instructor told me I was reckless.
I lacked due care and attention.
I knew then and there,
I had a career in politics.
You weren't messing around in there.
Did you know someone?
Someone who was a victim of gun violence?
No, why does everyone assume that?
Strong opinions, maybe?
As if I can only see the
merits of an argument
when I feel the effects personally..
There was a Congressman,
I don't remember his name...
his whole career,
he's against gay rights...
only to do a complete u-turn
when his brother comes out.
What a well-reasoned basis for opinion...
Give him a gavel, put him in a courthouse...
Are you hungry?
You eat here every night?
Pretty much. Place never closes.
How do you not get bored of it?
It's a necessity. It's like asking
if I get bored going to the toilet.
Ok,
this is going to sound alien to you but food
takes up an inordinate
amount of space in my head.
How about guns?
During my due diligence,
your resume stood out.
I noticed a lot of your
work pertains to firearms.
I'm guessing that was a conscious decision
to steer things in that direction.
It's an issue I feel strongly about.
It's none of my business but
there was a gap in your profile...
Before Berkeley, you attended high school
in Bloomington, Indiana in the late 90s.
The name of the school isn't listed.
Who else knows about this?
Rodolfo. That's all.
You can imagine what I'm thinking.
Sorry, Elizabeth but I earned my reputation.
It didn't come from something that happened
in high school, even if my views did..
Going public could even weaken my standing.
They'll say I'm too emotional.
Anyway,
the shooters didn't even buy their guns.
Heaton-Harris wouldn't have made
a shred of difference that day.
You fear a weakened standing will
damage your ability to effect change.
But if acknowledging it was the
difference between winning and losing...
I'd appreciate it if you just
treated me as one of the team.
I'm highly confident when I can tell.
I'm lucky to have you.
60 is the magic number.
60 votes breaks a filibuster..
So the gun lobby wins with 41.
They can win with fewer. We need to hit 60.
Anything less doesn't cut it.
59 doesn't cut it.
We need 60 Senators to show up and vote.
We don't get that, they win. Period.
As I was saying,...
that by my reckoning, the gun lobby
has 34 votes, pretty much locked.
That's this side. Let's say we have
44 locked over here on this side.
That leaves 22 that are still in play...
These fine ladies and
gentlemen in the middle.
Heaton-Harris provisionally
makes it to the Floor in 84 days.
The good news is: if we can lock 16,
we're over the line.
I'm sorry, that's the good news?
We need 16 out of 22 votes?
That's like sitting in an exam
where the passing grade is... 72%.
And the bad news is that the gun lobby
is rich beyond our wildest dreams?
There is that... Or that
it's not a whole lot of time
to steal 16 votes from the
most powerful group in DC?
That too.
What Ross is fumbling for... we need 16.
They only need 7.
Shit.
And the man who did this
robbed us of their smiles...
of their laughter...
and I just can't accept
that we allowed it to happen...
our beautiful girls...
and we couldn't stop it...
If we could have taken the gun out of his
hands and my babies would still be alive...
Jesus Christ! We get the idea.
Brenda and Joel Patterson.
The shooting sparked a new wave of
anti-gun sentiment in Wisconsin.
And that was more than a month ago.
It's not dying down.
Brenda's become a prominent figure in
the Mothers Demand Action movement.
Public outrage after a shooting
lasts maybe a week per casualty.
This whole Pattinson story should
be in the ground by now. Patterson.
Huh? Their name: the Patteron family.
I don't give a shit if they're
the fucking Partridge family!
This is her. Sandford needs to know.
Our delivery must be
tailored for maximum impact.
Support for gun control is
up 8% in the last 2 weeks.
Both Wisconsin Senators are vulnerable.
If they don't declare for Heaton-Harris...
Kirkpatrick won't make it through
the fall and Wallace is toast...
What's going in that medical thing?
Senator Wallace...
He can deliver 2 other Moderates.
And sure as she was born screamin'...
she'll see that as a
chance to box them in.
No, Carlos, that's unacceptable.
The media has to be there.
That's the whole point.
It has to be digitally stored and ready...
to be trotted out,
should he even think about backing down..
I'm going to send you a photo of Clara
Thomson. She'll be front left, wearing a...
Clair, what are you wearing?
One shoulder black crepe dress.
One shoulder black crepe dress.
If we're lucky, it'll be the only
one in the room. Thanks, Carlos.
Hey Alex,
tell me it's feasible that a doctor...
wouldn't have time for all
this social media bullshit.
Yeah, after pulling 15 hour shifts, I guess.
Great!
But he'd be on Doximity, probably...
the medical version of Linkedln.
Could you not just have
stopped when I said great?
Good morning! Light reading?
Do you even know what pulmonology is?
Yes, I do. It's the study of Pullman.
Lungs are asymmetrical. The right
has 3 lobes, left... 2. You know why?
Your heart needs the real estate? Bravo.
Alright, everybody, listen up!
Not a problem for you, I should imagine.
What do they got?
Come on, arguments and rebuttals.
Let's have it! Wake up!
It's the first step toward a
National Register of firearms.
Scaremongering, no one's even
come close to proposing that.
And if they did, it would have
it's own day in Congress. Next.
And it's 2 steps away from confiscation.
The gun lobby's rhetoric...
is based on the falsehood that we want
to take something away from people.
We don't. We want to make it more difficult
for dangerous people to buy firearms.
If we can't burst this fallacy,
we may as well go home.
Esme, get me a bio on Wendy Furness, please.
Sure.
Harwood Norton CEO?
Second largest employer in Virginia.
Both Senators are teetering but if I
can get her to reach out to them...
You don't see the irony in
asking the CEO of a defense
contractor to advocate for a ban on guns?
I'm not banning anything!
Jesus, you sound like one of them!
I'm in character. Next.
Um, the new rules will
increase wait times by 2 weeks.
Welcome to America, where you'll
wait 6 months for an X-ray but hey...
you can buy an AR-15
in 5 minutes flat!
You going to be that flippant in public?
Pussyfooting isn't memorable.
Soundbites are...
and the appropriate line goes like this:
Anyone that desperate to
get their hands on a gun...
shouldn't be allowed anywhere near one.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
If the Senator ever finishes this speech,
it'll open it to the floor.
You'll be question number 3.
Is it a go for it?
He knows the Media's here.
He won't risk being heckled
at his own fundraiser.
Back him into a corner,
he'll have no choice.
Of an additional 2 million dollars
for the purchase of 4 brand new machines
within the first year of my next term.
Thank you.
Thank you very much. Thank you.
Alright, a few more questions for
the Senator and then we'll wrap up.
Uh, yes, the lady in white. Mr. Senator,
I'm here for the Westfield Center...
He was supposed to go to me third?
What's he doing? Following orders.
Three tables behind you, 2 to the right.
They've been tracking
us through Wisconsin.
They would have everyone on
that list vetted. You're blown.
What do you mean?
I mean that it's time for Plan B.
And our final question
goes to Dr. Raj Amarasekara?
I hope I'm pronouncing that right...
of the Pulmonary Associates Of America.
Thank you.
Raj Amarasekara actor
named Matthew Kanteria.
They think he's about to ask a benign
question about the Clean Air initiative..
It's a safe bet we'll
see 3 or 4 gunshot victims.
Some are kids, teenagers...
How do you intend to vote
on the Heaton-Harris Bill
when it's put before Congress?
Well, as you have experienced,
gun violence is a real problem...
You decoyed me? Raj Amarasekara
has personally plagiarized...
7 research papers, all available online.
He even has a Doximity account.
And this financial burden is the fact...
Some of the victims are the... Kids.
The young.
So I think it's first and
foremost to put our sympathies
with the families of these victims.
But it's true.
Gun violence puts an enormous strain...
on our healthcare
system and it's workforce.
Absolutely. Yes.
That's why I intend to give
my wholehearted support...
to the Heaton-Harris Bill.
Thank you.
And that's a wrap! Thank you!
Absolutely thank you!
Who else does he bring?
Fasitell and Garcia.
Esme,
I have a surprise for you on Wednesday.
About our new restaurant? How about a
Second Amendment debate at NYU Law School?
Don't shout this from the
rooftops but I trust you to do
a better job than anyone else on the team.
The team.
You can't make it?
I'm including myself as part of the team.
I wasn't cool enough to relate to
college kids when I was a college kid.
I'll forward you the details.
You again!
I called them and I
specifically asked for Mark!
I specifically told you he skipped town.
Well what agency did he move to?
How should I know?
I ain't his parole officer.
He's in trouble? I was kiddin'.
Ohh, we had so much fun the other night.
Well, you know where the door is, lady.
Go run to your Mark'
I have work to do tonight. A big case?
Ford, human interaction is an exchange.
My money for your...
Dick?
I was going to say "Skill Set".
But that's the only exchange
I'm willing to make.
Oh man, you sound like a banker.
Ah, I gotta do prep anyways. For what?
Another client, tomorrow night. You do prep?
For functions.
Believe it or not, not everyone
hires me for my... "Skill Set"..
Half my clients just want me on their arm...
Some just want someone to
talk to from a different
neck of the woods who ain't gonna judge
'em..
That is so pathetic.
Functions are different.
Agency gave me a list of covers.
Insurance exec, marketing guy...
Oil and gas. I'll be seeing you.
I think you owe me somethin' more.
No, it's all there. Count it.
This covers my services.
I just gave you a whole lot of
information about my line of work.
On your principals of exchange...
Uh, ok. That was was a
voluntary donation on your part.
I pay you so I can imagine a life I chose
to forgo in the pursuit of my career.
Why don't you go out and get it?
It's not for me.
Not when I was in my early 20s,
sure as hell not now.
So no house you call home,
no folks you call family sort of thing, huh?
You ever regret that? Not for a second.
At least now we're peeling a layer. And that
is all my principles of exchange will allow.
Goodbye, Ford.
If you're a terrorist or someone who
shouldn't be allowed on that plane..
Which lane are you going to walk through?
Well, yeah. Obviously...
Thursday morning. Yeah, I'll hold.
Loren, Boston. Thursday. Got it!
I deleted every vestige
of my online existence.
You didn't replace it,
leaving a clear-sized hole in Google,
which they flagged in due diligence.
- I did replace it.
- Esme!
Clara Thompson just returned
from a 2 year stint...
with Meds Ses Enfante.
It was solid.
Why didn't you tell me about...
Listen... Raj...
Just call him, Matthew.
I checked with Finance.
Your actor wasn't paid from our account.
You ran him out of your own pocket.
It's good practice to
keep your circle small.
In this town, no matter where you are,
you're never more than
2 feet away from a rat.
Hey,
I want you on the podium at the ARD Dinner.
Wait, wait! That's a huge deal.
You don't think we should share
the public speaking a little?
And blow all the goodwill you've racked up?
I'm not sure I'm comfortable in
the spotlight, doing all the press.
Get comfortable. That ship has sailed.
Hey, yes. Thursday morning? I'll be there.
Every day, 48 children or teens are shot...
it's not across the world, folks.
That's right here in America.
We were joined right now by a
representative from the Brady Campaign...
Esme Manchurian.
It's Man-you-charian.
Knocking on doors... making house calls...
how long did it take you
to even get to this place?
Consider it a sign of how important
it is that we get you on board.
Why?
In your long and distinguished career...
you've done precisely jackshit for feminism.
Because gender doesn't interest me.
The only thing you're missing's a dick.
I think your presence in
the room would be a great
help as I make our case
to Senator Hofflund.
God willing,
we can help protect our neighbors...
from the kind of tragedy
America has endured all too often.
Manchurian! Manucharian.
In this country, 9 women are shot by
their intimate partners every week.
The risk of homicide goes up 500%...
Don't throw stats at me.
I'm not a fucking journalist.
You think I don't know all this?
Does your membership?
Because now would be a
great time to tell them.
Larson and Paar have donated millions
from their personal fortunes.
Yeah. We can't go ahead and have a war!
Hey, Manucharian! Mendel's on the brink,
I need a conversational topic.
What do you mean? Small talk,
idle nonsense of no import to anything.
You outsource your social interactions?
Yeah! Interests, hobbies, kids!
There's no better way to butter up a parent
than to tell him how
hot his kids are. On it.
Now the last time we met, your youngest was
knocking on the door of the Ivy League...
Yes! Logan, was it?
I can't even remember that conversation.
Mandy Hamlin from the American
Nurses Association on Line 3.
I think there a great many
on the Hill that have become
so accustomed to your generous support...
it wouldn't hurt to give them a short,
sharp shock..
The donors?
Don't ask for more, ask for less.
If you feel strongly about Heaton-Harris,
you could worse than press to cut ties...
with any Senator who
doesn't come out in favor.
What, we're turning the screw and
saving money at the same time?
We live in a society where there's
a new school shooting every week!
That's why, when put to vote, I will
lead the party on the Heaton-Harris Bill!
Came in anonymously but
everyone's thinking Bloomberg.
500 grand? That's over 12% of our budget!
If you were donating that much,
why would you do it anonymously?
Obvious reason. What, privacy?
No, makes you look noble
when you leak your identity.
God! Were you born that cynical?
That is just a word to denote the absence
of... The naivete I so keenly exhibit?
Yeah! Right.
Since when were you camera shy? Uhh!
What happened, you find a wrinkle?
If it isn't Bill Sandford's poodle.
Let me guess... on a tight leash,
sniffing at his ass for business?
If you weren't such a joke,
we'd already have his business.
So how about this? Give Mini-Me a day off
and I'll give you a shot at the title..
Live TV debate. You and me.
You must be desperate if you're
willing to give me airtime.
If I kick your bony ass hard enough,
Bill Sanford
will realize why he came
to us in the first place.
Uh-uh, you need me strong
to make him worried.
And not lookin'
so strong after a headon with me.
Alright, I'll grant you a job
interview on national television.
You can show your master what a big,
tough dog you are.
We were about to discuss
should only be referred
to in code in the
office and over email.
My ex-employers aren't
beyond bugging and hacking.
You think our Conference
Room's wearing a wire?
We're gonna target a Senator from a
state we have zero right to swing.
Oh, please god, don't say...
Alberto Gomez, a Republican, Florida.
What?
I thought you were going to say Ms.ouri.
Florida's preposterous.
I'm being optimistic.
Public opinion runs against
Heaton-Harris in Florida.
Let's talk later. In the office?
How do I register my dissent? By semaphore?
Alex, you're in charge of ad vendors.
You have a 2 o'clock at JWT.
I want 2 phone pitches.
Clara, Brian, Lauren, you're 1.
Cynthia, Esme, Franklin, you're 2.
Ross, get stats about. Come on, get to it!
What the hell are you thinking?
That you should let me do my job!
This ain't Cole Kravitz standards!
Our clients are nonprofit,
not some cashed-up conglomerate.
I'm hiding in the bushes
with my begging bowl,
waiting to leap out at anyone
who looks like money...
you're getting ready to set fire to half
a million dollars on some harebrained...
I mean,
this James Bond shit's endearingly whacky...
but if you think you're
seriously going to get
any traction out of
Florida, you're way out..
Rodolfo, it was explicit in
your pitch to lure me here
that you had a certain degree of
trust in my ability to run this campaign.
George, it's me...
I know what I'm doing.
We need to talk about Florida.
And I don't do harebrained.
Fuckin' A-right! Well, from the way
you've been kickin' my ass all morning...
I was startin' to think you invited
me here just to kick my ass.
I'm personally in
favor of Heaton-Harris.
I publicly declared,
my voters are behind me.
Did you want to meet just to kick my ass?
Look, you're sittin' on 6 votes.
Sandford's not a punk.
He knows the opposition's countin' on him..
He also knows if they don't get them,
their campaign will be over.
So what are you gonna do?
Walk into my club, bend me over a green
beige table and give me
a spiel about freedom?
About how, if the liberals get their way,
in a couple of hundred years...
the Second Amendment will enshrine
our right to carry baseball bats?
No, that's the argument you're
going to make to your friends...
in the Blue Dog coalition when you
tell them you're changing your position.
Bill Sandford's thinkin'
about backin' a new candidate.
One of their own,
a real up-and-comer, Hispanic.
Got offers from 8 Ivy League schools.
Ivy League Schools?
Have you seen my approval ratings, pal?
No, he's not runnin' against you...
He's runnin' against your son.
The gun lobby wants your support, Hank.
They know your boy's runnin' for Michigan...
they'll handpick an opponent...
back him to the hilt.
I tried to talk Sandford out of it...
Bullshit, Connors! You probably
put him up to it, you motherfucker!
About those approval ratings,
you can go either way...
Quietly recant, protect your son...
Sandford won't forget it.
You disappoint him...
he won't forget that either.
So how was Pittsburgh? What are you, a fed?
The president of the Midatlantic
Association Of Women.
In Law Enforcement called
to say thanks for lunch.
I wasn't aware they were part of our plan.
It was an expense..
It was a 30 minute lunch.
They're not part of our plan...
Guess what, Ollie! It wasn't expense.
Am I not allowed a social life?
I didn't know you had one.
As someone who has their underlings
root for conversational topics.
I maintain a small circle of allies.
Uh-huh. Cops and nurses?
Well, I can provide a list if
you require full disclosure.
So... grand unveiling!
You coming? We got a bigger
problem: while you've been
jetting around the
country for lunch...
our opponents have been doing their job.
Hank Badgely, Chairman of the Blue Dog,
who controls the votes of... 6 Senators
I know who he is. He's in our pocket.
Really? That what you think?
He was on board,
but he just did a 180.
Says he wants to wait and see.
Wait and see's more like a 90.
We're chasing Senators who are in play.
We can't afford to lose 7 votes
we had locked. We won't recover.
We have him on camera pledging support?
Absolutely.
Then we'll have to make him feel it.
Thank you.
Alex, these banners are good.
Could you say that again and
sound a little less surprised?
Hold on! This can't be right.
Senator Gomez...
We're not going to Florida.
What? Florida's out.
But you said you said that we were
going to Florida to swing Gomez.
Everyone turn to tab 9, please.
I don't have anything at tab 9.
Security, lock down Cynthia Green's desk.
Secure her files and her hard drives
and escort her off the premises.
Your Blackberry, now!
Now!
Let's go. He offered me a partnership track.
Good luck with that.
Clear the office.
Come on, come on! Everybody out!
I'll have the place swept for tabs.
Sounds like James Bond shit to me.
We will talk about this later.
Come on, everybody. Clear the building.
Let's go! Out! Come on!
I can't believe the whole
Florida Gomez thing was a ruse.
We'll come out of left
field and take Colorado
before they figure out which
one they got screwed in.
How could she do that?
Why does someone even think like that?
Well, maybe, in her naivete,
she figured it would be good for her career.
I wasn't talking about Cynthia.
Good morning.
Please take a seat.
We're not sayin' it can't be done.
But it's risky.
We only get one shot. Hey!
Were you followed? Evidently.
Let him in.
Do you solemnly swear that
you will tell the truth,
the whole truth and
nothing but the truth...
upon pains and penalties of perjury?
I do.
State your full name, please.
Wow, look at this.
Rodolfo Vittorio Schmidt.
I'm guessing this gear ain't for tuning my
'69 Chevy.
Rodolfo, my unofficial support team.
Big Sam. Little Sam.
During the time you worked
alongside Ms. Sloane...
Did you hold any discussions pertaining to
the use of illegal surveillance techniques?
So how big is your organization?
Well there's 6 of us.
4 are out on an assignment.
- And you're ex...
- NSA.
Badgley is flip flopping.
But... quickest way to get him in line...
is to mine for
sordid details and then
let him know that we're
in possession of them.
Mr. Schmidt, did you...? Yes, Senator.
And what means did they
have at their disposal
to carry out these
surveillance practices?
Standard 24-hour video
and audio surveillance...
cell phone and hotline account hacking,
location tracking and...
with our latest tech...
close quarters audio...
any time and any place.
Ever hear the expression: "fly on the wall"?
Meet the cutting edge in eavesdropping.
It's a cockroach.
Which can be retrofitted into
the cybernetic robo-roach.
We glue electrodes to it's antennae...
perforate the thorax so we can
control it's movements from our link.
Don't call PETA, Schmidt.
These guys can crawl under doors,
into crevices, bags... completely undetected.
They can go weeks without
food and still be mobile.
And how did you react to
the possibility of all this?
I told her it was mind-boggling,
ingenious...
morally repugnant and
completely unacceptable.
Boooo. You're talking about
blackmailing a United States Senator!
Have you any idea of the
damage if this ever came out?
No more than the damage if
we don't get Badgley back..
Without prejudice to the undoubtedly
stellar job that you guys do...
our firm has certain standards
below which I am not prepared to stoop.
Let me out of here.
Schmidt! Find another way.
It was a rude awakening for
Michigan Senator Hank Badgley...
because he was tailed from
his home to his workplace...
by this trailer-mounted rodent...
What the fuck is that?
Organized by gun safety campaigners...
in response to what
they perceive as a huge
amount of support for the controversy...
Can you believe? I do not fucking believe...
gun control...
has been conducting
his duties in the
shadow of a giant rat.
As he was tailed from his home...
It's on all of the national news outlets.
How the hell did she
manage that? She didn't.
They swing left all on their own.
It has it's own Twitter feed.
Huh? The rat's.
Really, I think that this
whole rat business is little
more than an unfortunate
misunderstanding.
I was one of the first members of the
Senate to lend my support to Heaton-Harris.
I've always maintained that the
Bill is integral to public safety...
and my support for it is unwavering.
Now, I sincerely hope that we can
get past all this silliness...
3 more Blue Dog Senators have press
conferences scheduled for next week.
Keep hammering the point that we
are not arguing for confiscation.
Heaton-Harris is about stopping
criminals and psychopaths.
Yeah, I a pro at this pro at this, Liz.
I'll see you in there.
So you knew there
was a leak from when?
Sorry. Cynthia, when did you start
to suspect there was a leak?
Ahh, after the UAPD fundraiser.
You had her followed by a P.I.?
How did you know it was her? Sorry?
The leak! You had Cynthia watched.
How did you know it was her? I didn't.
You had us all watched?
Howdy
Cal Schneider, banking and actuary.
I'm sure we've been introduced
but your name escapes me.
I'm sorry, you have the wrong person.
I'm pretty sure I don't.
I have a good memory for faces.
This one I wouldn't readily forget.
Really? Mr. Schneider,
I have no idea who you
think I am. Excuse me.
You know we're not really supposed to
be having this conversation, right?
Half of Oregon is protected
Federal Parkland...
but they can't develop it, so their
state budgets come from lobbying revenue.
Vince, whatever clearing your
head looks like, this isn't it!
Loggers are a very influential group...
Excuse me, can someone have her makeup
done too, please? I'm not part of this.
You're a public figure in a room
full of cameras. Is that her?
Liz?
Hey, we have to get Brian on these loggers.
We're on top of the goddamn loggers!
Just clear your head!
One moment. Clear your head like I told you.
Ms. Sloane, welcome!
Pat! Please, take a seat.
I know Friday's Filing Day and
your campaign'll be over...
but if you're thinkin'
I'm going to go easy, I can't do that.
This is live TV, so no colorful language.
Bullshit job offers to my staff?
You've plumbed new depths.
A giant inflatable rodent? Please!
You ruined that girl's career.
Shut up! The both of you. Ok, let's go!
Hello, America. I'm John O'Neill.
Welcome to a special edition
of This Week In Washington.
Guns! More or less?
There were 372 mass shootings last year...
64 school shootings...
and there are over 300
million guns in our country..
You used to work with Connors? 4 years.
Foulmouthed, unexpected but very effective.
If background checks are to be of any use...
they should apply to all gun sales,
not just some.
Isn't that what
Heaton-Harris is proposing?
Precisely. The Bill expand
the scope of gun regulation..
And it's yet another affront to Americans'
constitutional rights..
No. The Bill closes an absurd loophole...
which allows people
on Terrorist Watchlists
to buy guns without
any check whatsoever..
It's an incursion into individual
liberty by an all-powerful government...
What, like Drivers licenses?
Drivers licenses?
It's illegal to operate a car...
without going through rigorous
theoretical and practical assessments.
- That's a clear constraint on the...
- Fugu chefs!
Individuals to drive cars or pilots
to fly planes. C'mon! Fugu chefs!
You know, in Japan,
chefs train for 7 years...
before they're allowed to serve
a poisonous blow-fish call Fugu.
What does any of this have
to do with background checks?
That is a fair question!
Does anyone in this room think
that the government should
abolish drivers licenses?
That's absurd. Why? They are a government
incursion into individual liberty.
We accept them because they make sense.
The more dangerous the machinery,
the more rigorous the test should be.
I think we can extend our
definition of dangerous machinery...
to semi-automatic firearms. Except
the Second Amendment to the Constitution
doesn't guarantee the right to drive cars...
or operate machinery or serve blow-fish,
for that matter.
It guarantees the right
to keep and bear arms.
Perhaps you haven't read it lately.
The bill infringes the rights of
the people to keep and bear arms.!
The Second Amendment was signed in a time
when the average life expectancy was 38...
and it was common practice
for our Founding Fathers to...
resolve their differences at dawn,
in a gunfight.
What may have been perfectly
sensible in those alien times,
is wholly inadequate to solve
the problems of the present...
That's not a rebuttal! What is she doing?
The United States Constitution
has stood the test of time.
It's authored to confer
unimpeachable rights...
which don't change depending
on which way the wind's blowing.
It's so authored with the specific intent...
of keeping at bay the
Elizabeth Sloanes of this world...
who want to wipe their asses with
the Constitution and replace it...
because she knows better than the
Founding Fathers of this great nation.
Nothing is unimpeachable,
not even the Constitution.
It's ironic that the very statement
of rights you're so quick to invoke...
is, in fact, an Amendment!
I may not like it either, Elizabeth,
but it is the Second Amendment.
It comes right after freedom of speech,
religion and press and...
and somewhere before freedom from search
and having to testify against yourself.
They're all kind of bunched together.
It's called the Bill of Rights!
How do you get around that?
We don't need to.
The Supreme Court already made it
clear that the right to own a gun is...
subject to lawful restrictions.
One of those is background checks!
Universal background
checks are an infringement.
What part of "shall not be infringed"
don't you get?
I get that that's the weakest,
most mind-numbing
retort in your impoverished arsenal.
Sort of a last refuge for
those with no argument at all.
You're talking about the
United States Constitution!
If they could produce a
rational winning argument,
I'd gladly migrate to their side...
but because it says
so in the Constitution,
the Bible or my horoscope... What?
It's not a winning argument.
It's a ripcord.
An intellectual equivalent of a yellow,
pant-pissing wimp
cowering behind Mommy's skirts.
Why don't we bring this back... No, no, no!
Let's not!
Why don't we ask all
the mothers out there
who lost their children
to an armed sociopath...
if they believe in his unimpeachable,
constitutional right to bear arms...
Why not ask a terrified girl who
locked herself in a janitor's closet...
at Bloomington High, forced to
listen as her peers were massacred?
Go ahead, ask her!
Her name is Esme Manucharian.
She's standing right there!
Jesus Christ, Liz!
Time out. We're going to take a
break and when we come back...
maybe these 2 will stop playin' Pattycake
and the gloves will really come off...
be right back..
I won't insult your
intelligence by claiming
that that came out in
the heat of the moment..
How far back?
Once I started getting
used to all the media.
Ok. Day 1.
Wow!
That dinner that night,
you asked me if I'd go public...
like if it was the difference
between victory and defeat.
What if I'd said no?
Would you still have done it?
Probably. I was hired to win...
and I have a responsibility to
use whatever resource I have.
The press we're gonna get from this, it's
practically a dereliction of duty not to...
That's it? I'm a resource?
Professionally, yes!
I understand that you have feelings
and a life but I have no duty to them.
I have a duty to the cause,
and if the two conflict...
there will only ever be 1 winner.
Well, hooray for straight talk.
Ok. Get ready, Esme.
Network wants a statement.
We apply your makeup.
We'll walk out arm in arm.
We'll be brief, no questions.
Tonight, we'll leave them wanting more.
First of all, I want to make it clear
that I have dedicated my life to...
gun safety issues,
as the current system is broken.
That's a rational judgment,
not an emotional one.
I am a survivor of the Bloomington
High School Massacre of 1998.
For years I sought to hide
the pain and trauma...
for fear of having to relive it.
But I've come to realize that
the thousands of people...
affected by gun violence...
need to stand up and be accountable.
They need a representative who can
speak out for what they have endured.
Let's call Sandford.
There might be life in this yet.
You're a piece of work, Elizabeth.
If you want to set yourself on fire to
service your need to win, I won't protest...
But Esme? The end is my concern...
you liberal goodie-goodies can
fret over the means. You need me.
The end? You disappeared
over the hill when you
cracked your egg and
pissed all over the flag!
And comparing the United States
Constitution to a horoscope?
That's the kind of shit
the gun lobby thrives on!
Or if you realized by now,
we're gonna lose anyway.
This is more important than my career...
or Esme's unease at fighting reporters
every time she has to take out the trash.
You're out of control. We're not gonna lose!
What if I told you...
this whole strategy was a shell game...
for the benefit of the
Cynthia Greens of this firm.
What are you talking about?
Bill Sandford was right.
Women are the gun lobby's blind spot..
A massive power base who
they don't speak to...
and they can't control. And?
Those strange excursions on my itinerary?
Womens' representative bodies,
feminist groups, female CEO's...
I talked to as many as I could into
browbeating their membership...
to donate to my PAC.
You have a PAC (Political Action Committee)?
Bill Sandford's getting a nasty surprise
come Filing Day. How nasty we talkin'?
15 million from over 3 million donors nasty.
In one quarter?
Actually, less less. Unbelievable!
Why are you telling me this now?
You kept this from me all along
and you're telling me tonight?
My God! I tell you we're back in the game,
and all you can say is that?
You knew you were going
to screw Esme tonight.
So you kept this from me to blindside
me before I had a chance to fire you..
You have an unusual insight
for a boutique lobbyist.
You've been pulling all
the strings all along.
Lobbying's about foresight,
you anticipate your opponent's moves...
you devise countermeasures...
I am not your fucking opponent!
Were you ever normal?
As a child?
Or were the the twisted thought processes
in your mind hardwired in the womb?
Because I am having a really hard time
understanding how somebody gets to this.
I guess I'm just a piece of work.
I'll see you tomorrow.
You're Madeline Elizabeth Sloane.
You work in a government affair
and communications company.
Well Googled.
What was that... at the fundraiser?
You pretended like we were strangers.
What did you expect?
You alright?
The only person who called
me Madeline was my mother.
Government affairs and communications
are just fancy words for lobbying.
And lobbying is a fancy word for what,
exactly? Outside this room, we're strangers!
Those were the rules of this engagement.
We were alone!
In a public place!
I can't be associated with you there.
At least one other person knew who you were.
Who was she, anyway?
I never reveal my clients... ever.
Oh, you just pry into
their personal lives...
Google for the truth!
I hear you lobbyists ain't
so good with the truth.
Says the guy with 4 identities who
sleeps with strangers for money..
I'm just surprised by what a
natural bullshitter you are.
I grew up lying, Ford.
Didn't want to. I had to!
That's why I excel at it.
It's a skill I would have
happily traded for a normal life.
Normal's overrated.
I'm sor...
I'm sorry. But I can't.
What's wrong?
I'm sorry. Forget about tonight.
Why? Did I do somethin'?
No, it's... umm...
I'm not in the right frame of mind.
Here... easiest money you'll ever make.
I didn't do anything.
Well, you set up... I wasted your time...
You know, we can just sit and talk.
Take the fucking money, Ford!
Get out, please.
Suit yourself.
Numark. Numark, yeah!
Milner... Carlson...
Wade Powell, Virginia.
Hackman come over too.
We lost Milner, Newman, Carlson, Hackman.
Adamu said he's softening his position...
Alex...
I'll soften his fucking...
Bill Sandford's on Line3.
I'm closing Adamu right the fuck now!
Woo! Woohoo!
She takes my own idea and
goes up against us with it.
Been tryin' to warn you, Bill. 15 Million!
From 3 million donors!
In less than a quarter!
You stop her,
you stop Heaton-Harris.
We have to make it personal now,
she becomes the story.
We can use our media relationships, Bill.
Put her on the defensive!
I don't just want her on the defensive!
I don't just want her off the campaign!
I want her to be the reason
people think twice...
before takin'
on the guardians of the Second Amendment.
I want her career..
Hey, Alex, it's me... I just wanted to...
Philadelphia was as good
as we could have hoped for.
So how are we doin'? That's 4 to go, people!
You're kidding me!
Wow, that's amazing.
Alright, we're joined now by Esme
Manucharian. Esme, thanks for joining us...
Would you say that the gun debate has
now largely become a womens' issue?
You need only look at the
numbers to see that gun safety...
has become a deciding
issue for American women.
If their representative isn't listening,
they'll go to the polls and
elect someone who will..
What do you want?
I've got 15 million to blow.
Lauren was going through your letters...
between the death threats and
the hate mail, he found this. this.
Pru Walsh of the Sentinel is doing an
article on lobbying... that means you.
Well, is she wants to meet me,
why'd she send a letter?
Because she doesn't
really want to meet you...
she wants to say she
reached out to you for
an interview but didn't hear back.
It's a take-down.
Well, the least we can do is disappoint her.
Set it up!
I've canceled your 10am.
You can see our in-house attorneys.
I don't believe you two have met.
You know how I feel about this.
I was against you ever hiring her.
Your job is not winning lobbying fights.
Your job is to stop us from get...
quite independently for
being utterly contemptible!
What the hell were you thinking? Whatever
it was, I guess it seems pretty stupid now.
Liz, meet your protection.
Daniel Pozner, Head of Legal.
Liz Sloane, contemptible
liability and amateur lip reader.
Whose idea were the glass walls Seriously?
Two TV slots tomorrow, then a radio thing
and then finally, I'm done in Illinois.
Where are you? Cold Stone, waiting for
them to hurry up and invent the food pill.
That may take a while.
Plotting to ensnare our last 4 Senators.
6 down, 4 to go... we're actually doing...
Sorry. Wait. Oh, I'm so sorry, my fault.
It's alright, let me help you..
Thanks. Here you go. Ok?
Sorry about that.
Remember that first day when I asked you...
"How do we win?"
and you said: "Realistically, we don't."
I stand by every word of that. Excuse me!
So you're going to downplay the 15 million?
We can't sound like we're bragging
about how much we're pulling in..
Senators link donations to voting
intention we can say anything...
You want to take this, bitch?
Esme, you still there?
Come on.
Take it!
Esme, what the hell was that?
You've been here before, right?
Esme! Look at me! Esme?
Except I'm gonna do it right this time..
I'm standing at the scene
of last night's shooting...
we understand that the
assailant was targeting
a leading figure in the
gun control movement...
and was then shot dead by a civilian
carrying a registered concealed firearm.
George? You watching the news?
Yeah, a whole bunch of Christmases
just came early for Bill Sandford.
I'm headed to the airport.
Get ready to spend some money.
Police have confirmed his
identity as Frank McGill.
McGill was a legal owner
of a registered weapon.
Heaton-Harris wouldn't
have touched him!
But it might have made it harder
for the other son of a bitch.
What do we know about him?
Where did he get his piece?
Did he have an arsenal
stashed in his basement?
For the Second Amendment,
which guaranteed a right to be
protected from a sick individual...
and most of all for Frank McGill...
model citizen, vigilant,
responsible, and his aim is true!
How are you doing?
You heading home?
You make a round trip from DC
to pin me in a departure lounge?
So you can check me off your list?
I betrayed your confidence.
I sent you down this path.
Don't worry, Liz, it's not your fault.
Is That what you want to hear?
How could you possible have known?
You're not going to get it.
He wanted to kill me.
I didn't know where the line was, Esme.
I never, never know where the line is.
Obviously, take all the time you want...
and when you're ready,
we'd love to have you back on the campaign.
Your own terms. No media,
you can work behind the scenes.
If you don't want to work with me,
I'll resign from the campaign.
If that's what you want.
Is that your move to get me back at my desk?
You want me in front of a
camera to counter Frank McGill?
It even crossed my mind
that this was all you.
You just didn't account for an
armed civilian right behind me.
Esme... I'll keep fighting, Elizabeth.
Wherever I can make a difference.
But as far as possible away from you.
You crossed the line when you
stopped treating people with respect.
You're smart enough to know that.
You just don't care.
Thank you. Thank you. Welcome back.
Our next guest this morning is the
kind of guy you want to have around...
when you're walking
home from work one night
and some dude sticks
a gun in your face.
After a military career,
McGill worked as a commercial pilot...
Let's face it, folks,
the streets ain't safe...
and if it wasn't for the courage, bravery
and damn fine aim of our next guest...
we'd be reflecting
on yet another tragedy.
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome
the man of the moment. Frank McGill.
So, Frank McGill, All-American hero!
Not at all.
An ordinary guy in the right
place at the right time.
With a 9 Millie under his belt.
I'm curious:
the person whose life you saved...
once campaigned for a
ban on concealed carrying.
How do you feel about that?
I respectfully disagree with those views...
but the young lady's
entitled to her opinion and...
nobody should be attacking her for that,
much less, holding her at gunpoint.
McGill is a gift from God
but it won't last forever.
We're looking to parlay that into
a closer examination of Sloane.
I'm thinking of a Congressional hearing...
into her unorthodox lobbying practices.
I'm sure we can find a Senator
who would be open to the idea.
If we want to talk trash about her
in the press, that's one thing...
a Congressional hearing requires a
convincing allegation of impropriety.
I'd give my left nut to drag
her rep through the dirt...
but your not going to get it.
She's a CYA (Cover-Your-Ass) specialist.
I've never met anyone so pedantic...
Start an inquisition!
Let's see how well
covered her ass really is.
Hi! Pru Walsh.
Thanks so much for coming over.
This is Mike Gordon from our legal
department. Daniel Pozner from ours.
Ms. Sloane, you are at the forefront of
an industry with a terrible reputation.
Do you think that's deserved?
The only reason this Bill
wasn't passed decades ago...
is because of the power
of special interests.
When a lobbyist raises finances...
We haven't heard from Esme
Manucharian since the attack...
are you in contact with her?
That's a private matter.
I think what's important to remember...
So have you talked to her at all?
What's important to remember here is that
Frank McGill is exactly the kind of...
law abiding, responsible gun owner,
whose rights the
Heaton-Harris Bill protects.
So do you feel any guilt
about what happened?
Why would I feel guilt?
You made Esme the face of your campaign.
You thrust her into the limelight
that night on the debate.
I'm not talking about this.
You don't have to.
Did she know you were going
to out her on national TV?
Did she agree to that?
Why not report that the
majority of gun owners
favor more extensive
background checks...
that with the gun lobby's
fear-mongering rhetoric,
they're trying to paint
Heaton-Harris as something it's not!
Do you think that your little
revelation is what made her a target?
It's clear Ms. Sloane doesn't wish
to discuss Ms. Manucharian. Well...
What's really clear is that
your article's already written.
Don't respond to that.
That's purely speculative on your part.
Who's controlling you? Let's not do this.
Look, the fact is that you have no
way of knowing what Ms. Walsh...
The fact is that you have no interest
in what Ms. Sloane has to say!
And how would you know that?
Your Dictaphone's off.
Take-down.
Could have been worse.
I've got 4 factual errors so far.
This not good, Liz!
Dump it in the recycling.
They'll make pencils out of it.
Maybe one will find
it's way into the hands
of a reporter with some integrity.
It will go away.
Uhh, ok, thank you. Bye.
Funny how all these Senators
are suddenly very busy.
We all know why that is.
Ok, so it's not great.
The 15 million helped us get this far...
but it doesn't last long when you're
fighting the richest group on the Hill.
Let's get to the point. How does it
shake out when it comes to the vote?
We run them close but
by latest projections...
we'll be between 4 to 7 votes short.
There's nothing more we can do tonight.
Liz, we don't have to leave.
The West Coast is still awake.
If we can connect with Oregon...
we close those goddamn loggers,
we can get it up to 5 votes tonight.
Go and get some rest, guys.
We did enough for today
I'll take to the streets
and rip down those
fucking Frank McGill posters
one at a time if I have to.
Go home, sharpen your knives.
It'll still be on tomorrow.
So we keep on fighting.
That's all we can do.
As my ex-wife used to say...
I met you running from a fundraiser.
You could be done with all this.
Why don't you quit?
And do what?
Good night.
Hello?
I was surprised you picked up.
I'm sorry, you have the wrong number.
She plied Congressman with benefits...
free meals, tickets to events,
golfing weekends...
All paid for by our clients via the firm.
Well, that right there's enough!
She'd make a point of invoicing them,
though they were never expected to pay.
The debt shows as an asset on our balance
sheet. We can call it in any time we want.
You were her right hand for 2 years.
There's got to be something!
Why is nobody on her files? There were a
ton of us when the others got pulled out.
Well, it's not like we're in danger of
finding anything. How far did you get?
Uh, we worked backward from her
last deal before she jumped ship...
but it would be better if we
could nail her on something recent.
Which was? Shmallow cakes.
Some tax thing. She left halfway through.
I thought it was the palm oil thing.
Palm oil? Nutella tax.
Hold on...
The Indonesians?
I don't remember seeing that.
What are you looking for?
Mr. Dupont?
She's in breach of Senate ethics rules.
We can prove it.
Things aren't looking so
good for you this cycle, Ron.
You ask me, you need a lot more paid media.
I didn't ask you.
Now, who might just be able to
fund those coveted TV spots?
I'm committed to Heaton-Harris.
I can't vote for it with one
hand and choke it with the other.
Under cover of impartiality, sure you can.
You've been a vocal critic
of lobbyists in the past.
You'll begin an inquiry into
Sloane's affairs in response to...
growing media pressure regarding
her litany of misdeeds.
The cost of hearings is
paid from the public purse.
Ron, our clients have identified
you as the man to pull this off.
If you refuse, I can't stop them from
blitzing you with negative finance.
They won't stop until they annihilate you.
You know the root of the word "annihilate"?
It's Latin.
It means reduced to nothing.
That's what they're going to do to you, Ron.
So what?
I'll be taking a wedge from Bill Sandford...
and leading the attack on Heaton-Harris'
most visible advocate?
A sixth grade could connect the dots.
We can create a structure
to obfuscate the source.
Your big wedge will arrive courtesy
of 8 to 12 smaller entities...
with no affiliation to guns.
How big a wedge are we talking?
Big enough to be the difference between
the continuation of your duties...
as a United States Senator and the
reduction of your career to nothing.
This is every hit since the original
Pru Walsh hack job 2 weeks ago.
My personal favorite is the one
about how you toppled the head of...
the high school student council
with a fabricated plagiarism scandal.
I'm assuming it's not libelous
because I can totally see it.
That witch was insufferable.
I'm taking you off the campaign.
What?
Not you, her.
I'll be outside.
What are you talking about?
Heaton-Harris gets
colder every day you're
associated with it.
Sperling's got the hots for you.
I haven't even met him! This is a setup!
If they're orchestrating it,
it's because they want me off the campaign.
Right now,
you're lawyering up for a hearing.
Regarding your representation
of the Indonesian government...
Darren, you busy? Senator Alan Jacobs...
who sponsored the Bill you dubbed
"The Nutella Tax"...
was flown to Indonesia with his
family and put up in a 5 star hotel.
Our audit of this trip puts
the cost at over $30,000.
Shortly after his return,
the Bill was pulled from consideration.
Now, why do you suppose this happened?
I understand the trip was
for educational purposes.
I surmise that he found out how his Bill
would have strangled a key industry...
and confined thousands of
impoverished farmers to destitution.
From his private beach?
No. The truth is that your
client funded this trip...
as an inducement for the
Senator to withdraw his Bill.
Isn't that right?
Not at all!
My client was the
Indonesian Government.
The trip was sponsored by the
Institute Of Environmental Studies...
A 501-C3 nonprofit organization.
Travel was pre-approved by
the Senate Ethics Committee.
Has your client ever
donated to this nonprofit?
I wouldn't know that.
I am not privy to their list of donors...
nor had I any role in
arranging funding for this.
No role?
Of course, you wouldn't have any role...
the Senate's ethics
rule prevent lobbyists...
from arranging overseas travel
for members of Congress. Indeed!
You know what this is?
Perhaps we can get you a copy.
Are you familiar with that form?
Yes,
it's a private sponsor certification form...
It's a copy of the same private
sponsor certification form...
that was submitted to the
Senate Ethics Committee...
to pre-authorize Senator Jacobs'
travel to Indonesia.
Look at the handwriting on that form,
Ms. Sloane.
Do you recognize that handwriting?
Yes, I do. Is it your handwriting?
It is.
Well, it seems we have a problem.
Even though the form was filed
and signed by the nonprofit...
you were the one who filled it out.
This is prima facie evidence
that you were involved...
in arranging overseas travel
for a member of Congress...
constituting a clear
breach of Senate Ethics rules.
Is that your trump card?
You dragged me in here,
wedged an endoscope up my posterior...
and all this time,
the only incriminating item...
you have in your possession is a filing
sample? How about surveillance, Ms. Sloane?
Mr. Rodolfo Schmidt has stated,
in deposition...
that you intended to use methods
such as bugging and tapping...
to entrap Senator Hank Badgley.
Is this true?
I did, for a brief moment,
intend to use such methods...
but that intention was never acted upon.
Why was that?
Mr. Schmidt expressly forbade it...
as he, no doubt,
told you in his deposition.
But you were clearly with these methods.
Did you employ the tactics of espionage...
regularly throughout
your lobbying career?
No, I did not.
Then let me ask you this.
Have you ever authorized, ordered or...
or otherwise brought about any kind
of unlawful surveillance on any person?
Let me remind you that perjury
before Congress is a felony...
The answer is no. I have never
authorized illegal surveillance.
This concludes my
questioning of the witness.
Thank you, Ms. Sloane.
We have one further witness.
Either you just perjured yourself
or you're not so sleazy after all.
The Committee calls Mr. Robert Ford.
I wouldn't count on that.
Mr. Chairman, I don't recall being
notified of your intention to...
We were only recently able to locate
the witness, Mr. Pozner. Let it play!
A moment with the client, please.
What is this? Who's Robert Ford?
Look, I can make a public...
Let it play, dammit!
They're going to get it out
there one way or another.
Mr. Ford, please raise your right hand.
Do you swear that you will tell the truth,
the whole truth and nothing but the truth...
under pains and penalties of perjury?
I swear.
Please sit.
Mr. Ford, could you please
describe the nature of your work?
I got many jobs.
What would you say earns you
the most income, at present?
I work as an escort in DC.
You sleep with women for money?
I meet the clients' needs,
whatever they may be.
Sometimes the client don't
even know what they need.
Part of my job is to figure that out.
But sometimes your job entails
having intercourse for payment?
Yes sir.
Have you ever met Elizabeth Sloane?
Mr. Chairman,
the Senate has no business
prying into the personal
affairs of Ms. Sloane!
Solicitation is a criminal offense. It is
well within the remit of this hearing...
to determine whether Ms.
Sloane has broken any laws.
Mr. Ford, have you ever met Ms. Sloane?
Yep. Could you identify her, please?
Sittin' right there.
What was the nature of your relationship?
I was attending a function with a client...
I tried to introduce
myself but she bucked me off.
Mr. Ford, have you ever
entertained Ms. Sloane as a client?
No, sir.
I can produce sworn statements from
2 employees of the Carver hotel...
to the effect that they
saw Ms. Sloane in the lobby...
on the same day that you,
Mr. Ford, held a reservation there!
I ask again. Did you entertain Ms. Sloane,
in any capacity, for profit?
No, sir. I did not.
Thank you, Mr. Ford. You are dismissed.
These proceedings will conclude tomorrow...
and Ms. Sloane is referred to
the Senate Ethics Committee...
for their judgment.
I can't believe those fuckers
dragged that guy... Ross!
How's our old friend,
Heaton-Harris?
Comatose. The whole issue's gone cold.
That is what they wanted.
We all know what it would take to revive it.
Seriously, an earthquake.
We got closer than we had any right to.
We'll all be there tomorrow.
Ms. Sloane! Could we ask you anything?
Will proceed on the allegations that...
Good morning.
Before referring the witness's testimony
to the Office of Congressional Ethics...,
she is entitled to make a statement.
Ms. Sloane,
is there something you'd like to say?
Mr. Chairman,
my client does not wish to make a statement.
Very well, I will now read the referral
to the Office of Congressional Ethics...
There is something I'd like to say, Senator.
I have been censored by the press
and by this hearing as a parasite
on American democracy.
It's insinuated that I led the fight
for increased gun regulation...
in the interest of my career.
Sometimes we act not for ourselves...
but because we believe, plainly and
simply, it is the right thing to do.
Ms. Sloane,
is this pertinent to the discussions we...
I understand I have the right
to say what I wish, Senator.
Proceed.
I believe the Heaton-Harris
Bill is the right thing to do.
But I also recognize that this
wasn't what motivated motivated me.
When I was offered a position on the
campaign, I was enthralled at the challenge.
My decision to accept was
based on my desire to win...
and to win bigger than I ever had before.
It's clear that my behavior
has fallen well short...
of acceptable ethical standards.
I've crossed lines with
devastating consequences...
in the service of my obsession.
I have betrayed the people closest to me.
I have endangered lives.
I deserve censure for this far
more than any filing irregularity.
When they consider the
Heaton-Harris Bill...
I wish that each member of Congress
would follow the example set, not by me...
but by the group of people
that sit behind me...
who have made great sacrifices in the
name of doing what they believe is right.
I wish that those members
would use their votes...
not in the interests of
their political advancement...
but for what they believe
is right for their country.
But I know my wishes are wasted
and that this will never happen...
because our system is rotten.
It doesn't reward honest politicians
who vote with their conscience...
it rewards rats...
who are willing to sell out their country
to keep their noses in the trough.
Make no mistake.
These rats are the real
parasites on American democracy.
I anticipated,
if we had sufficient success,...
in lobbying for the Heaton-Harris Bill...
there may be an assault
against me personally...
to stall our momentum and
to damage our credibility.
Lobbying is about foresight...
about anticipating
your opponent's moves...
and devising countermeasures.
I'd like to discuss my future.
This is hardly the time, Cookie!
The winner plots one step
ahead of the opposition...
and plays their trump card
just after they play theirs.
Actually, it is the time.
It's about making sure you surprise them...
What the fuck is this?
And that they don't surprise you.
My resignation. Academia is more my scene.
When I left Cole, Kravitz & Waterman,...
I retained an operative
of mine in their ranks.
Alright, Jane, contact Rodolfo Schmidt and
tell him there is a total of 6 coming over..
Who says that I'm coming?
A plan was hatched to bankroll
a trumped-up hearing...
at the behest of the gun lobby.
There's gotta be something!
I was surprised you picked up.
Sorry, you have the wrong number.
She's in breach of Senate Ethics rules.
We can prove it.
I put George Dupont under surveillance...
until he met with a Member Of Congress...
who exhibited sufficient moral
bankruptcy to collude with such a plan..
Go.
That Member was Senator
Ronald Michael Sperling.
Order! This is not a platform
you can use to make malicious...
Put the following address into your browser:
193.184.216.449.
Download a file named: "earthquake".
(I can't vote for it with one
hand and choke it with the other)
Set the com!
(The cost of hearings is
paid from the public purse)
In light of these allegations,
this meeting is adjourned!
(They won't stop until they annihilate you)
(Do you know the root of the word:
"annihilate"?)
(It means reduce to zero) Please back up!
Clear!
(That's what they're going to do to you,
Ron)
(A comic book lobbyist can't only
believe in her ability to win)
(For services rendered,
Peterson Wyatt offers you $0)
FEDERAL PRISON ANDERSON,
Maryland
10 months later
I'm surprised that you showed.
I hear that I'm not the only one
whose visit you've been refusing.
You look good!
Prison's not so bad if
you don't have a penis.
We don't shank each other,
we form self-help groups.
There's a black market in lip gloss.
Hm, and why this time?
They told me it was business. Yeah!
Uhmm, now that the Sperling and Dupont
hearings are on the schedule,...
I'm petitioning for an early release.
You look good too, by the way.
Thank you!
I think we're lookin' at 4 maybe 6 months.
You instigated the whole thing.
You weaponized yourself...
brought the roof of the Capitol
crashing down on your head.
For what? A gun bill?
Worked, didn't it? Oh, congrats!
Criminals must now endure the hassle of
procuring their guns on the black market.
Was that really worth your career?
Career suicide is not so
bad when you consider...
the alternative is suicide by career.
My doctor would tell you that I've
served my interests very well.
Thanks for coming, Daniel.
I'm curious.
Your little filing snafu...
You filled out that form deliberately.
That was you throwing them a bone.
Without it they would have
nothing to incite the hearing.
And you're under no
obligation to answer that.
And you neglected to mention this
to any of your team because...
5 years minimum.
Be seein' ya.