The former U.S. president told the nationally syndicated radio host Thom Hartmann on Tuesday that the United States is now an “oligarchy” in which “unlimited political bribery” has led to “a compete subversion of our political system as a payoff to major contributors.”

Hartmann had asked Carter to comment on Supreme Court decisions that govern campaign financing, such as Citizens United.

HARTMANN: Our Supreme Court has now said, “Unlimited money in politics.” It seems a violation of principles of democracy. … Your thoughts on that?

CARTER: It violates the essence of what made America a great country in its political system. Now it’s just an oligarchy with unlimited political bribery being the essence of getting the nominations for president or to elect the president. And the same thing applies to governors and U.S. senators and congress members. So now we’ve just seen a complete subversion of our political system as a payoff to major contributors, who want and expect and sometimes get favors for themselves after the election’s over. …

… the incumbents, Democrats and Republicans, look upon this unlimited money as a great benefit to themselves because somebody who’s already in Congress has a lot more to sell to an avid contributor than somebody who’s just a challenger.

— Posted by Alexander Reed Kelly.