Pay-to-play schemes are more common in politics than are campaign events

It is common knowledge that billions of dollars flow through the hands of DC lobbyists into the coffers of politicians and their political organizations for the purpose of influencing elections. Savvy politicians with low morals or scruples have become quite wealthy on pay-to-play transactions. The main problem with pay-to-play transactions is that the goal of the person paying the politician is often somewhat at odds with the best interests of the majority of Americans.

Bill Clinton and his cronies robbed the poor native Indians of Oklahoma by demanding a sizeable donation in exchange for Clinton's influence, and the request was ignored after the donation was made. That was dishonest, illegal, and inhumane.

S. Rept. 105-167 - INVESTIGATION OF ILLEGAL OR IMPROPER ACTIVITIES IN CONNECTION WITH 1996 FEDERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGNS105th Congress (1997-1998)
Committee Report

Despite the limited cooperation of key witnesses, the
Committee gathered enough facts to reach the following
conclusion. This chapter in the DNC's 1996 fund-raising efforts
is among the most sordid. In brief, Democratic fund-raisers led
the tribes, who were politically naive, to believe that making
a large contribution would secure them the long-sought Fort
Reno lands. The tribes made contributions to the DNC, received
encouragement about their land claim from many quarters,
including the President himself, but ultimately received
nothing. The tribes then fell into the hands of a series of
Democratic operators, who attempted to pick their pockets for
legal fees, land development fees, and additional
contributions. The fleecing stopped only when several
unflattering press accounts ran regarding the tribes' plight.

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marke · 70-79, M

Harry Reid was another corrupt politician who made millions through pay-to-play schemes. Here is a snippet about some of his corrupt dealings.

Corruption Scandals Led to Harry Reid’s Abrupt “Retirement” | Judicial Watch
Corruption Scandals Led to Harry Reid’s Abrupt “Retirement”

You’d never know it from the mainstream media puff pieces of Harry Reid’s sudden retirement, but it was a long string of corruption scandals—including a recent one involving his attorney son—that drove the veteran Nevada senator to abruptly leave public office.
For nearly a decade Judicial Watch has investigated and exposed Reid’s involvement in a multitude of transgressions and JW even warned the Senate Ethics Committee, but not surprisingly, no action was ever taken. On multiple occasions the Senate minority leader appeared on JW’s “Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians” list for his role in a number of political scandals that got more serious as his seniority and clout in Congress increased.
As far back as 2006 Reid was in hot water for violating Senate rules by concealing a seven-figure payoff on a suspicious land deal orchestrated by a longtime friend known for political bribery and mob ties. The influential senator secretly collected a $1.1 million profit on land he hadn’t personally owned for years. To hide the deal, Reid transferred ownership, legal liability and tax consequences to a company owned by a former casino lawyer who has been investigated by federal authorities. Months earlier Red got busted for accepting gifts from a state agency trying to influence him. In that scheme the lawmaker quietly took very expensive ringside boxing tickets from the Nevada Athletic Commission while that state agency was trying to influence him on the sport’s federal regulation.