Outsider Rules

by Roger Fleming

Dedicated staffer, Nick Taft, exits the halls of Congress for an eye-opening journey through Washington's lobbying world awash in money and bereft of morality. Joining the ACC, a well-connected communications coalition, he learns through Kale McDermott, a seasoned lobbyist, the ways of survival in Washington's power grid. Along the way he discovers how well-intentioned politicians are so often persuaded against their better money. Assigned to cover Montana for his coalition, he befriends powerful Senator Clarence Waters, whose staffers' antics quickly place him on the edge of criminal activity. But Nick needs their boss's support, and the embattled third-term incumbent needs help from every financial source, including Nick. Desperate to secure his own career and guarantee the reelection of Senator Waters, Nick is swept into a gold mining company's campaign finance scheme. But the miners' lawyer manipulates a twisted strategy by engaging a Mexican drug cartel that leads Nick into the middle of the vast and often dangerous Crow Reservation. In his second novel, Roger Fleming takes on the dual beasts of DC lobbying and the dark side of campaign finance. His insider's view alternates between the ethically threadbare lobbying world of the 1990s to a meth-addled campaign trail in 2006 that together determine the outcome of one of America's closest and most consequential U.S. Senate elections of the early 21st Century.
Roger Fleming, who is also the author of Majority Rules, was born and raised in Florida. He served as Legislative Director to U.S. Congressman E. Clay Shaw, Jr., as Majority and Minority Counsel on the Judiciary Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, and as a political appointee in the Administration of President George H.W. Bush. Roger is a graduate of Emory University and lives in Alexandria, Virginia

332 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2020

About the author

Roger Fleming was born and raised in Florida. He served as Legislative Director to a U.S. Congressman, as Majority and Minority Counsel on the Judiciary Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, and as a political appointee in the Administration of President George H.W. Bush. For the past twenty years, Roger has been a lawyer and lobbyist representing telecom and tech companies in Washington, DC. Roger is a graduate of Emory University, and lives in Bozeman, Montana.
Outsider Rules is Fleming's second novel. His first was Majority Rules which was published in 2014 and can be found here: www.majorityrulesnovel.com

Reviews

[Heidi Sp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not normally a fan of political novels but really enjoyed this. The plot had enough twists and turns to keep me engaged and I loved the "insider's take" on how politics really works. Plus as a Montana resident I loved all the familiar references! A quick and entertaining read!