Rule of law means, more than anything else, that there are consequences for the rich and powerful.<p>> Other major figures in the case settled years ago, including the builder and the owner of the private lockups and their companies, in payouts totaling about $25 million.<p>When you can settle for "just the cost of doing business" prices, the rule of law is clearly weak enough that you know corruption is accelerating.<p>Nothing has made America's lack of rule of law more apparent to me than the "rule of law" party's 2nd most powerful person standing in front of news cameras and confidently saying "My husband and I have a right to trade stocks with insider information, despite numerous professionals being restricted from doing so. Rules for thee, but not for me, because I'm a congresswoman."<p>How are we supposed to fight corruption, systemic or otherwise, when the people most equipped to fight it won't even look at themselves?<p>Our leaders are failing to lead by example.