Bill Thomas (born June 1, 1943) is an American author and journalist. He has written books on the legal profession,

capitalism Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for Profit (economics), profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, pric ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

and the corrupting influence of money on

Capitol Hill Capitol Hill, in addition to being a metonym for the United States Congress, is the largest historic residential neighborhood in Washington, D.C., stretching easterly in front of the United States Capitol along wide avenues. It is one of the ...

. In 2010, Thomas unsuccessfully ran for Maryland's 8th congressional district seat in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican.Bill Thomas, Candidate for House of Representatives MD 8th District. (Republican)
page on Congress.Org

Work

Thomas' books reflect his career-long interest in politics and economics. His work examines how misplaced trust in alleged 'experts' can have calamitous as well as amusing consequences.

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

Book Review called his first book ''Lawyers and Thieves'', coauthored by Roy Grutman, a “wry, witty, eloquent” look at the practice of law. ''The Wall Street Journal'' called it an “entertaining expose” of the legal profession, from the seamy world of New York personal-injury lawyers to the highest court in the land. ''Los Angeles Times'' said ''Lawyers and Thieves'', “has the quality of hard-boiled mystery fiction, tough, knowing and full of dirty little secrets.” ''Red Tape: Adventure Capitalism in the New Russia'' (Dutton) details how business is done in Russia. Thomas and co-author Charles Sutherland drew on more than 25 extended trips to Russia and the former Soviet Republics in researching this book. Kirkus Reviews say that Thomas and Sutherland have written “a breezy, street-wise guide…that does for the New Russia what P.J. O’Rourke’s '' Parliament of Whores'' did for the

U.S. government The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a fede ...

.” Thomas launched and wrote “Heard of the Hill,” ''Roll Call'' newspaper's widely read political-insider column. Based on years of experience in writing about Congress, his book, ''Club Fed: Power, Money, Sex and Violence on Capitol Hill'', (Scribner's) was praised by ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'' as “timely…entertaining…required reading.” ''The American Lawyer'' called it “a sprawling and ribald collection of salacious scandals.”

Running for Congress

Thomas ran in the Republican primary for the U.S. House of Representatives in Maryland's 8th congressional district in 2010. The district was rated "Safe Democratic" by CQ Politics. Thomas had 3 opponents in the primary: Michael Lee Philips, Bruce Stern, and Christine Thron. Thomas finished 4th in a field of 4 with 15% of the vote; Michael Lee Phillips with 32% of the vote finished first in the primary. The election itself was won by incumbent Chris Van Hollen, Democrat.Rep. Chris Van Hollen Jr. (D-MD 8th District)
page on Congress.Org

Books

*''Lawyers and Thieves'' (with Roy Grutman), Simon & Schuster (June 1990), hardcover, 352 pages *''Red Tape: Adventure Capitalism in the New Russia'' (with Charles Sutherland), Dutton (October 1, 1992), hardcover, 288 pages, ; *''Club Fed: Power, Money Sex and Violence on Capitol Hill'', Scribner's (October 17, 1994), hardcover: 320 pages, *''Capital Confidential: One Hundred Years of Sex, Scandal, and Secrets in Washington, D.C.'', Pocket Books, (April 1996), paperback: 154 pages,

References

External links

opinion by Diana Furchtgott-Roth in '' The Washington Examiner'' August 19, 2010 {{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Bill 1943 births Candidates in the 2010 United States elections 21st-century American politicians Living people University of Maryland, College Park alumni Goucher College faculty and staff Howard University faculty Hood College faculty