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Sometimes politicians are rich when they go into politics. Sometimes they get rich, somehow, while collecting the relatively modest salary that comes with even some of the highest-level elected offices.

How does that happen? And why is there such a disconnect between the ardent, eat-the-rich populism of this moment and the success filthy rich politicians have at the ballot box?

Matt Lewis, a senior columnist for the Daily Beast and a regular guest on more national programs than I can conveniently list here, is the author of "Filthy Rich Politicians: The Swamp Creatures, Latte Liberals, and Ruling-Class Elites Cashing in on America," and he joined this episode of Plain Talk to those questions, his book, and the state of play in American politics.

Also on this episode, my co-host Chad Oban and I discuss polling on property taxes, abortion, and a federal court ruling that North Dakota lawmakers most hold another special session to address redistricting.