The Dodds: Definition of Corruption

We've heard about Democrat Sen. Chris Dodd's ethics problems, from sweetheart Countrywide loans to Irish cottage problems. But it now appears that Dodd's wife has also benefited plenty from her marriage to a Senator.

Since her marriage, Mrs. Dodd, whose name also appeared on those infamous sweetheart mortgages from Countrywide Financial, has seen her income quadruple thanks to her recruitment for lucrative positions on corporate boards, including CME Group, the world's largest futures exchange. Those jobs have enriched the Dodd household while netting Sen. Dodd's campaigns at least $40,000 in contributions, according to a published report. In addition, from 2001-04, she was a director for IPC Holdings, an off-shore company controlled by AIG; Sen. Dodd's political and financial entanglements with AIG are well documented. Today, she also is designated, as required by federal law, as the highly paid "financial expert" on two of her boards' audit committees, even though she has neither auditing nor accounting credentials or experience.

Of course, spouse benefits are in vogue these days. After all, Michelle Obama somehow landed a $400K administrative job with the University of Chicago Hospital after her husband was elected to the Senate and helped them receive a federal grant. Conflicts of interest and definitely shady.