A new Reason-Rupe poll finds that 75% of Americans think all politicians are “corrupted” by campaign donations and lobbyists.

In addition, they think that 70% of politicians use their political power to help their friends and hurt their enemies.

“I’m just trying to run for secretary of state. I hope I don’t get indicted.”

— California state Sen. Leland Yee (D), quoted by the Sacramento Bee, talking with undercover agents as he allegedly arranged for a $10,000 payoff.

“A string of federal corruption cases involving officials in Charlotte, N.C., San Francisco and other cities shows the fruits of an increased use of aggressive tactics by the Justice Department to root out state and local corruption,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“The near-constant run of federal cases against state lawmakers, governors and mayors in recent months that rely on hard-hitting tactics stands in contrast to an absence of such cases brought against members of Congress.”

Charlotte Mayor Patrick Cannon (D) was arrested on federal public corruption laws, the Charlotte Observer reports.

“Cannon solicited and accepted money bribes and things of value from undercover FBI agents, who were posing as commercial real estate developers and investors wishing to do business in Charlotte.”

The complaint is pretty stunning.

California state Sen. Leland Yee (D) “was taken into San Francisco’s Federal Building wearing handcuffs after he was detained Wednesday morning in connection with a political corruption probe,” KTVU-TV reported.

Former Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell (R) and his wife “want separate trials on the federal corruption charges they both are facing, saying in court filings late Tuesday that a joint proceeding would prevent Maureen McDonnell, in particular, from taking the witness stand to exonerate her husband,” the Washington Post reports.

A federal judge “signaled that he is growing increasingly frustrated with the voluminous and at times rancorous filings by defense attorneys representing” former Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell (R) and his wife in a corruption case, dismissing one of their recent requests as “dancing through fantasy land” and asking them and prosecutors to limit their written disputes “for the sanctity of the trees,” the Washington Post reports.

The Washington Post reports Jeffrey Thompson “was set to plead guilty Monday to funneling more than $2 million in illegal contributions to federal and local political campaigns, including Vincent Gray’s (D) 2010 bid to become mayor.”

Prosecutors also revealed for the first time that Gray knew about the “shadow campaign” — “a secret and illegal effort to bolster Gray’s mayoral run” and personally asked for Thompson’s help.

Miami Herald: “Ana Alliegro, the gal pal of former U.S. Rep. David Rivera (R-FL), was arrested and informally extradited Friday from Nicaragua to Miami, where a federal grand jury charged her in a four-count indictment for her alleged role in a campaign-finance scheme tied to the one-time congressman.”

“Alliegro had fled to Nicaragua in 2012 as the FBI began investigating her and Rivera in a scheme to steer and conceal $82,000 in illegal campaign contributions to a no-name congressional candidate, who appeared to be doing Rivera’s political dirty work. That candidate, Justin Lamar Sternad, subsequently pleaded guilty to breaking federal campaign-finance laws and lying about it.”

For the first time, convicted congressional candidate Justin Lamar Sternad has stated in federal records that former Rep. David Rivera (R-FL) was a part of the conspiracy to funnel illegal contributions to his campaign, the Miami Herald reports.

“Sternad said in three recent FEC filings that a total of $81,486.15 in illegal campaign contributions were coordinated or tied to ‘Ana Alliegro and/or David Rivera.’ The revelations about the two come almost a year after Sternad’s March 15 guilty plea on counts of accepting illegal campaign contributions, conspiracy and making a false statement on an FEC report.”

The businessmen California State Sen. Ronald Calderon (D) “expected to meet were actually FBI agents with an unsettling message: He was under investigation for public corruption, and he could either cooperate with authorities or face the consequences,” the Los Angeles Times reports.

“Calderon initially agreed to wear a wire in an effort to implicate other politicians, authorities said. That arrangement eventually fell apart, and on Friday prosecutors announced a sweeping indictment against Calderon charging him with bribery, fraud, money laundering and related offenses.”

Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin (D) was convicted of 20 federal corruption charges for illegal dealings with city vendors, dating back to 2004, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

“Nagin, 57, joins a list of Louisiana elected officials convicted of misdeeds while in office, but he is New Orleans’ first mayor to be convicted of public corruption. Under federal sentencing guidelines, he could face a 20-year prison term, possibly more, lawyers have said.”

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), “while she was Chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, sent a letter to federal agencies on behalf of two Ecuadorian bankers convicted of embezzlement who were seeking U.S. residency. She also advocated for their family members, who donated over $20,000 to her campaign,” the Daily Beast reports.

“William and Roberto Isaias, who were convicted in absentia of embezzlement in Ecuador more than a decade ago, have been fighting for the right to avoid extradition and establish residency in the United States. And they’ve had a powerful ally in that quest: Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez, who made phone calls and wrote letters to advance their residency request. Last month, NBC News reported that the FBI was investigating Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez on possible corruption charges related to his advocacy on behalf of the brothers.”

Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin (D) will stand trial today on corruption charges, “barring any last-minute plea deal,” the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

“Federal prosecutors charged Nagin in January 2013 with 21 counts of bribery, wire fraud and conspiracy, stemming from misdeeds they say go back to 2004. He could get more than 20 years in prison if prosecutors can prove he broke the law for a meager bounty of $300,000, a truckload or two of granite, a ride in a limousine and a few trips on a private jet.”

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) “is striking back against new corruption allegations regarding his ties to two Ecuadorian bankers who are accused of defrauding account holders in Ecuador to the tune of $100 million,” the Daily Beast reports.

A Menendez spokeswoman denied the senator had been involved in any quid pro quo: “A year after a false smear campaign was launched against Sen. Menendez, once again we see anonymous sources making outlandish allegations.”

“Maureen McDonnell relayed to federal prosecutors last summer that she felt responsible for the relationship with a wealthy businessman who had drawn legal scrutiny to Virginia’s first family, and her attorney asked whether the case could be resolved without charges for her husband,” the Washington Post reports.

“But prosecutors showed no interest, according to people familiar with the conversation. Instead, months later, authorities proposed that then-Gov. Robert F. McDonnell plead guilty to one felony fraud charge that had nothing to do with corruption in office and his wife would avoid charges altogether. The governor rejected the offer, the people with knowledge of the conversations said.”

Washington Post: “Well, depending on how you define corruption, it could be Florida, or Louisiana, or Tennessee, or New York, or Georgia. And then there’s the District of Columbia.”

“Prosecutors laid out a startling corruption case against former Virginia governor Robert F. McDonnell and his wife, but the government faces a high bar in proving that the couple committed a crime,” the Washington Post reports.

“To make its case, the government must show beyond a reasonable doubt that McDonnell (with wife Maureen as co-conspirator) struck a corrupt bargain with a Richmond businessman who lavished the McDonnell family with $165,000 in cash and gifts. They must deliver evidence that the former governor agreed to provide his official help to Star Scientific chief executive Jonnie R. Williams in exchange for his largesse.”