Political scandals of the United States

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This article provides a list of major political scandals of the United States.

Contents

[edit] Scope and organization of this article

[edit] Categorizing and listing scandals

Division of this article's list of American political scandals into three categories --- (1) federal; (2) state-and-local; and (3) sex ---- is somewhat arbitrary and sometimes overlapping. It seems possible that separate sub-categories could be developed, within the "federal" rubric, for example, for scandals that have emerged during the course of the confirmation hearing for a political or judicial appointee. Another approach might be to categorize American political scandals by the nature of the alleged wrongdoing (separating "private immorality" scandals, where possible, from graft, bribery, and other abuse of the public trust; or separating misconduct that led to criminal indictment, from non-criminal matters).

The arrangement of the list of federal-level scandals in this article follows a more or less chronological order; in the case of state and local scandals, the arrangement is alphabetical, by state.

[edit] Political "scandal"

It is not always clear whether a particular flap involving a politician should count as a "scandal." For example, the alcohol-related problems that have plagued Senator Ted Kennedy probably never rose to the level of a "scandal," apart from the question of drunk driving in the 1969 Chappaquiddick incident involving the death of Mary Jo Kopechne.

The illegal mining of Nicaraguan harbors, and the Reagan administration's refusal to inform or consult the Senate about this, caused an enormous uproar in the Congress (including condemnations by Republican Senator Barry Goldwater), but its status as a "scandal" is debatable, even though, as a result of the U.S.-sponsored paramilitary actions in Central America, the United States in the case Nicaragua v. United States, ultimately became the only nation ever adjudged by the International Court of Justice to have been guilty of sponsoring terrorism. Scandalous though it no doubt was that United States intelligence agencies had been covertly and unlawfully engaged in terrorism, neither the World Court judgment nor the covert violent acts were treated in mainstream media exactly as a "scandal." On the other hand, the secret funding of the contras (of which the Nicaraguan harbor mining and other covert violence were part), in the context of secret negotiations with Iran concerning embassy hostages, was ultimately treated as a scandal and dubbed the "Iran-Contra affair".

[edit] "Political" scandal

Even when public officials are involved, a scandal is not always considered "political" in nature. An example of this might be the Tailhook scandal, which was generally regarded as a military, rather than a political scandal. Likewise, the 2004 photographs of degradation and alleged torture at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq were viewed by some to implicate highly placed Defense Department officials, but the events at Abu Ghraib were generally treated as a matter for military discipline rather than as a political scandal.

Some major news stories that surely count as "scandals" are nevertheless not usually considered "political" scandals. An obvious example would be the story concerning allegations that entertainer Michael Jackson (who is not a politician or a public official, although he is a public figure) engaged in improper relations with children. Likewise, the ImClone "insider" stock investigation that led to the conviction of Martha Stewart was certainly a celebrity scandal, and there was doubtless a political dimension to her prosecution, but Martha Stewart was not acting as a public official or a politician, so her case is not normally considered a "political scandal." Again, although the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy certainly exercises political power, the recent ecclesiastical scandal involving priest sexual misconduct and alleged coverup is not directly related to federal, state, or local governments and thus is not included among "political" scandals.

[edit] "Major" political scandal

There is no bright line to distinguish "major" scandals from "minor" scandals. The nature of the particular act or occasion of wrongdoing need not be great, but the consequences (such as resulting notoriety, resignation, etc.) are normally significant. For example, a single "innocent" remark by then U.S. Senate majority leader Trent Lott of Mississippi in appreciation of Strom Thurmond on the occasion of Senator Thurmond's 100th birthday ultimately brought attention to Senator Lott's poor record on civil rights and associated him with white supremacy and racial segregationism, which ultimately caused this powerful political leader to step down from his role as majority leader.

This article includes a category of scandals on the "state and local" levels; this suggests a relative scale concerning the extent to which a scandal must be publicized or celebrated in order to be deemed "major."

At times, investigative news coverage of a political scandal may itself be considered scandalous if it is deemed to violate journalistic standards, as happened in 2004 in connection with allegations that CBS News and Dan Rather were negligent or malicious in allowing fabricated military records to be used in connection with a report of allegedly dishonorable conduct by President George W. Bush in avoiding his military service obligations. Even though the falsified records in question were only a tiny part of the evidence and were corroborated by other testimony and documents, the focus suddenly shifted from the alleged dereliction of duty on the part of Mr. Bush, to Dan Rather's irresponsible, improper, and possibly biased, authentication of a particular set of records. Similarly, an official investigation into alleged wrongdoing can itself come to be viewed as scandalously wrong if it appears to be politically motivated.

One of the most famous examples of an official investigation itself being perceived as scandalous was the Joseph McCarthy anti-communist investigation of the 1950's, which came to be widely viewed as an abusive witchhunt that violated civil liberties. One's perception of whether an official investigation has itself become scandalous is likely to depend on one's own political point of view. Thus, the perception was especially strong among supporters of President Bill Clinton, that malicious abuse of prosecutorial powers had pervaded the investigations conducted by Kenneth Starr, which ranged from Whitewater to Travelgate to Filegate to the Monica Lewinsky matter.

[edit] Coverup

A frequent element of major political scandals is stonewalling, and often a cover-up is involved, which in some cases can even lead to formal criminal charges of obstruction of justice or perjury. In many cases, the "damage control" denials and other deception involved in efforts to "cover up" a scandal became themselves more scandalous, and more damaging to political careers, than the underlying problem. As embarrassing to the Nixon administration as the Watergate burglary was, what ultimately caused him to resign was the erosion of congressional support as it came to light that Nixon and his associates were concealing information and destroying evidence.

[edit] Campaign attacks distinguished

A distinction should perhaps be drawn between allegations in negative campaign ads and political scandals. It has become commonplace for the campaigns or the surrogates of political candidates to accuse opposing candidates of scandalously unworthy behavior. Although some of this mudslinging can on occasion lead to investigations that bear fruit as scandal, more often than not the purpose of such ads is simply to create a temporary negative association with a certain candidate, only long enough to influence an upcoming election. In the race for the 1988 Democratic nomination, campaign attacks were launched against various candidates, including allegations of plagiarism by Senator Joe Biden, and allegations of attack videos secretly prepared by the campaign of Governor Michael Dukakis, etc., but it appears that few of these campaign allegations (even when substantiated) were widely considered to constitute major political scandals. On the other hand, one Democratic hopeful in 1988, Gary Hart, famously withdrew from the race after being caught in the Donna Rice "Monkey Business" illicit sex scandal, which was apparently deemed sufficiently salacious to qualify as a major political scandal.

[edit] Contemporaneous notoriety versus historical research

A distinction can be drawn, between scandals that were widely publicized close to the time, and information about improprieties that did not surface until some time later. For example, rumors that either President John F. Kennedy or his brother Robert F. Kennedy had a sexual affair with Hollywood actress Marilyn Monroe did not become widespread until after all three were dead. Another example of delayed publicity is Thomas Jefferson's alleged relationship with Sally Hemings, which remained relatively unknown for nearly two centuries before it became widely publicized. In the more recent case of prominent white supremacist Senator Strom Thurmond, whose long political career had been built upon racial segregationism, it was not until after his death in 2003 (at age 100) that Essie Mae Washington-Williams came forward to reveal that she was the daughter of Strom Thurmond, who had impregnated her then-16-year-old mother, an African-American maid working for the Thurmond family in the 1920's.

On the contemporaneous end of the spectrum, Grover Cleveland's fathering of a child out of wedlock while he was Governor of New York was widely reported in his own day and became something of a campaign issue in the 1884 presidential election. Likewise, Cleveland's White House marriage to 21-year-old Frances Folsom raised some journalistic eyebrows at the time, as did rumors that he beat his wife.

Liz Gardella is having a baby.

[edit] Systemic scandals

Not included in this article are pervasive systemic scandals, such as the role of money in the political process.

[edit] Campaign finance

Supporters of grass roots democracy have called the dominance of campaign contribution money in the political process the "great scandal" of modern democracy. Details of this systemic scandal are well documented by the Federal Election Commission, the Center for Responsive Politics, and elsewhere. Thus, except for the more extreme or celebrated cases of outright quid-pro-quo bribery, the "normal" purchase of access and influence by means of political donations is not covered in this article.

[edit] "Revolving door" conflicts of interest

An increasing phenomenon is the facility with which government officials have come to move between serving in public office and working for private interests. Former members of Congress often join private lobbying firms upon leaving Congress; policymakers and other appointees to regulatory agencies are often selected from within the industries those agencies are charged with regulating, and then the "public servants" often quickly slip back into their private roles at the end of the appointment. Because private interests may well be at odds with the public interest, this situation has at times been widely viewed as a systemic political scandal. Rules designed to slow down this so-called "revolving door" process have had no substantial effect on this practice. And even some of the more celebrated instances of this type of conflict of interest, such as President Ronald Reagan's acceptance of a million dollar speaking fee from Japanese company, Fujisankei Communications Group, after leaving office, or large book advances for the Clintons, have come to be treated simply as routine practice.

[edit] Corporate scandals, including accounting scandals

Because of the close connection between certain politicians and certain corporations, some corporate accounting scandals that have come to light in recent years could reasonably be considered political scandals. For example, both the Enron scandal and the Harken Energy scandal implicated close associates of President George W. Bush. Occasionally a particular episode of corporate fraud will be treated as a "political scandal," but the widespread extent of corporate wrongdoing, and the systemic influence of corporate power on politics, would make it difficult to present a comprehensive account of all "political scandals" involving corporate misconduct.

[edit] Salacious Gossip versus Crisis of Legitimacy

News coverage of some of the more sensationalized political scandals has tended to focus on salacious details, resembling gossipy tabloid coverate of Hollywood celebrity scandals. On the other hand, some political scandals have been treated more soberly as crises implicating the legitimacy of government. In either case, it is widely believed that political scandals are capable of profoundly undermining the credibility of government, in the public mind.

[edit] List of scandals

[edit] Federal-level Scandals

[edit] 1700s

[edit] 1800s

[edit] 1900 - 1945

  • Newport Sex Scandal (1919) Secretary of the Navy Franklin Delano Roosevelt initiated an investigation into allegations of "immoral conduct" (homosexuality) at Naval base in Newport, Rhode Island; the investigators were themselves ultimately accused of misconduct, including ties to homosexuality (Consider moving to Sex scandal category)
  • Teapot Dome scandal (1922)
  • Deal supposedly struck in private meeting between Henry Ford and President Calvin Coolidge, relating to 1924 presidential contest and sale of Tennessee Valley hydroelectric complex at Muscle Shoals (1922-1924)

[edit] 1946 - 1974

  • Department of Justice tax scandal (1951-1952) leading to the firing or forced resignations of 166 employees of the agency; investigations were widely regarded as a systematic cover-up for high-level wrongdoing
  • McCarthyism (1948-1954)
  • 1952 Republican Vice-Presidential nominee Richard Nixon delivers televised "Checkers Speech," to deflect scandal about $18,000 in gifts, maintaining that the only personal gift he had received was a cocker spaniel dog named "Checkers"
  • Vicuna Coat scandal of Eisenhower's chief of staff Llewelyn S. Adams (1958); See State and Local level (New Hampshire)
  • Billy Sol Estes (1961)
  • Bobby Baker (1963) aide to LBJ was involved with underworld figures
  • Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. of New York expelled from Congress (1967) but re-elected anyway
  • Senator Thomas J. Dodd censured for financial misconduct and corruption (1967)
  • Supreme Court Associate Justice Abe Fortas resigns in financial scandal (1969) that emerged during his nomination to become Chief Justice
  • Harold Carswell nominated by President Nixon as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court withdrew (1970) after publication of a speech 20 years earlier: "I yield to no man . . . in the firm, vigorous belief in the principles of white supremacy."
  • Pentagon Papers (1971)
  • Watergate (1972-1973)
  • Bebe Rebozo (1973) — investigated for accepting large contribution to Nixon campaign.
  • Nixon Jewelry (1974) Violation of Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act of 1881, as amended in 1966.
  • Spiro T. Agnew scandal (1973)
  • Judge Otto Kerner, Jr. resigned U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals (1974) after exhausting appeals in conviction for bribery, mail fraud, conspiracy, and tax evasion while Kerner was Governor of Illinois
  • Nixon Pardon by President Ford (1974)

[edit] 1975 - 1989

  • John Connally Milk Money scandal (1975)
  • "Lancegate": President Carter's OMB Director Bert Lance resignation amidst allegations of misuse of funds (1977)
  • Jimmy Carter's Chief of Staff Hamilton Jordan target of special prosecution (beginning 1979)
  • "Billygate": President Jimmy Carter's brother Billy Carter was found to be a paid agent of the government of Libya (1980); ensuing scandal did not help President Carter's bid for re-election in 1980
  • Tongsun Park "Koreagate" scandal involving alleged bribery of more than 100 members of Congress by South Korean government; charges were pressed only against congressmen Richard T. Hanna (convicted) and Otto E. Passman (not prosecuted because of illness); also implicated was South Korean President Park Chung Hee (1977-1980)
  • Betty Ford addictions (1978)
  • Senator Herman Talmadge of Georgia punished after his ex-wife produced cash "gifts" he had hidden in an overcoat (1979); Talmadge later wrote, "I wish I'd burned that damn overcoat and charged everything on American Express." Talmadge the same year admitted to having spent five weeks in alcohol rehabilitation; he was not re-elected to the Senate in 1980.
  • Abscam (1980)
  • "Debategate": briefing book of President Jimmy Carter stolen and given to Ronald Reagan campaign before 1980 presidential election debate in Cleveland, Ohio (1980)
  • Secretary of Labor Raymond J. Donovan investigated (beginning 1981) for wrongdoing and ultimately acquitted of larceny and fraud (1987)
  • Anne Gorsuch Burford refusal to turn over EPA documents (1982)
  • William Casey insider trading (1983)
  • 1983 Congressional page sex scandal
  • Iran-Contra affair (1985-1986); Oliver North was convicted (1989) of accepting an illegal gratuity, aiding and abetting in the obstruction of a congressional inquiry, and destruction of documents, but the convictions were later (1990) overturned by appeals court.
  • Savings and loan scandal and the Keating Five (1980-1989): Alan Cranston, Dennis DeConcini, Don Riegle, John Glenn, and John McCain
  • Preferential treatment for military contractor Wedtech implicates Attorney General Edwin Meese and White House aide Lynn Nofziger (1987)
  • Robert Bernard Anderson former US Secretary of Treasury pleaded guilty to owning an offshore bank. (1987).
  • "Pothead jurist," 1987: President Reagan's first controversial nominee to replace Justice Powell was Judge Robert Bork. Judge Bork, who coincidentally had fired Archibald Cox in the Nixon-era Saturday Night Massacre, was rejected for his allegedly extreme judicial philosophy; the second nominee was Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg, who had to drop out of consideration after he admitted having smoked marijuana while a Harvard Law School professor.
  • Senator John Tower's nomination as Defense Secretary derailed due to allegations of habitual and extreme alcohol abuse and improper ties to defense industry (1987)
  • Mario Biaggi convicted (1988) in Wedtech scandal of bribery, extortion, racketeering, filing a false tax return, mail fraud, and false financial disclosure; resigned from U.S. House before he could be expelled
  • Speaker of the U.S. House Jim Wright from Texas forced to resign after ethics committee investigation found dozens of violations of House rules, including alleged improper receipt of $145,000 in gifts by Wright's wife from a Fort Worth developer and large profits from "sale" of Wright's speeches (1989)
  • Anthony Lee Coelho of California resigns from U.S. House for unethical finance practices including "junk bond" deal (1989)
  • Alcee Hastings, federal district court judge impeached (1989) and convicted of soliciting a bribe; subsequently elected (1992) to U.S. House

[edit] 1990 - 1999

  • Senator David Durenberger denounced by Senate for unethical financial transactions (1990)
  • Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) scandal implicates former Defense Secretary and Washington insider Clark Clifford (1991)
  • House banking scandal (1992)
  • Mary Rose Oakar (1992) allegations of "ghost employees" on payroll
  • President George H.W. Bush's pardon of 6 Iran-Contra affair figures on December 24, 1992 after he had failed to win a second term, days before the perjury trial of Casper Weinberger was scheduled to begin.
  • Travelgate (1993)
  • Zoe Baird's nomination as Attorney General and Kimba Wood's subsequent near-nomination were derailed by past employment of illegal aliens as nannies. (1993)
  • Dan Rostenkowski and other Democratic Members of Congress in the Congressional Post Office Scandal (1991 - 1995)
  • The evident suicide (1993) of White House lawyer Vince Foster, together with accusations that documents from Foster's office relating to an investigation had disappeared mysteriously, fueled scandalous speculations, including the widely publicized suggestion (dismissed by investigators) that Foster's death had not been suicide.
  • White House Coffees and Lincoln Bedroom sales -- political donations linked to access to President Clinton, including the apparent sale of "coffees" with him, and what amounted to the renting out of the Lincoln Bedroom.
  • Walter Fauntroy, Delegate to Congress from the District of Columbia, guilty plea regarding lying on financial disclosure form (1995)
  • Commerce Secretary Ron Brown investigated (1995)
  • The 1996 United States campaign finance controversy, also known as Chinagate, refers to alleged efforts by the People's Republic of China (PRC) to influence domestic United States politics prior to and during the Clinton Administration as well as the fundraising practices of the administration itself.
  • Americorps head Eli Segal investigated (1996)
  • Wes Cooley (1996)
  • Filegate -- Misuse of FBI resources by White House Security Chief under President Bill Clinton, allegedly to compile an enemies list (1996); investigation found insufficient evidence of criminal wrongdoing
  • Walter R. Tucker III of California resigned before bribery conviction (1996)
  • Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich financial improprieties leading to House reprimand and assessment of $300,000 sanction (1997)
  • Secretary of Agriculture Michael Espy forced to resign from office despite ultimate acquittal on criminal corruption charges (1998)
  • Labor Secretary Alexis Herman investigated (1998) in connection with alleged illegal fundraising and other financial improprieties, ultimately cleared (2001)
  • Bruce Babbitt, Interior Secretary, independent probe (1998-2000) of alleged lying to Congress concerning influence of money in 1995 American Indian tribe casino decision finds no criminally prosecutable perjury by Babbitt
  • Vice-President Al Gore (1998) allegations of improper fundraising and "no controlling legal authority" defense
  • Whitewater scandal (1994-2000)No criminal charges were brought against the Clintons as there was insufficient evidence that either of them had engaged in criminal wrongdoing
  • Teamstergate Ron Carey's and Bill Clinton's 1996 campaigns for the Presidency of the union and the United States, respectively, swapped Teamsters' Union general treasury funds into Clinton's campaign, for Clinton Campaign funds into Ron Carey's campaign warchest. The Teamsters' political director was jailed. No Clinton officials were charged. Carey's re-election was invalidated; James Hoffa, Jr. was elected when Teamsters election was rerun.
  • Henry Cisneros resigns as Housing Secretary and, after lengthy probe that began in 1995, pleads guilty (1999) to lying to the FBI about money he paid former mistress Linda Medlar a.k.a. Linda Jones; later pardoned by President Clinton in 2001 (Possibly reclassify or cross-reference to Sex scandal)
  • Pardongate (1999 - 2001) -- Bill Clinton appeared to write out pardons, during his lame duck tenure, in response to massive contributions linked to the pardoned. This included a scandal which has become traditional for departing presidents; the sudden flurry of pardons during the final month in office, which would probably not have been deemed tolerable at any other time.

[edit] 2000 -

  • Linda Chavez, nomination as Secretary of Labor derailed by past employment of illegal alien (2001)
  • Enron collapse (2002) leading to investigation of Kenneth Lay, a top political ally and financial donor to the election campaign of President George W. Bush; Lay, who had been named as a leading candidate for Secretary of the Treasury, eventually indicted (2004). Attempts to link individual politicians with the Enron malfeasance have not been particularly successful, perhaps partly due to the fact that so many politicians of both major parties received campaign contributions (including 158 Republicans and 100 Democrats in Congress (as of 2001) [1]).
  • Jim Traficant (D-OH) financial corruption conviction and expulsion from House (2002)
  • Robert Torricelli (D-NJ) bribery scandal (2002)
  • Trent Lott (R-MS) resigned as Senate majority leader amid racial controversy
  • Bill Frist (R-TN), becomes Senate majority leader and is alleged to have been deeply involved in campaign finance improprieties. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating insider-trading issues in connection with Frist's July 2005 sale of Hospital Corporation of America shares immediately before the stock's value fell precipitously.
  • Yellowcake forgery. Evidence alleged to be forged was presented in the case for 2003 invasion of Iraq (2003); related Valerie Plame affair (2004), eventually implicating Vice Presidential Chief of Staff, Scooter Libby (indicted 2005 for perjury)
  • Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse scandal (2004-2005)
  • Tom DeLay (R-TX), reprimanded twice by House Ethics Committee and aides indicted (2004-2005); eventually DeLay himself was indicted (October 2005); Delay resigned from the House 9 June, 2006
  • Bernard Kerik, nomination as Secretary of Homeland Security derailed by past employment of illegal alien as nanny, and amid allegations of various other ethical improprieties (2004)
  • Former Clinton administration National Security Advisor Sandy Berger pleads guilty (2005) to unlawfully removing classified documents from the National Archives in October 2003
  • Bush administration payment of columnists including Armstrong Williams, Maggie Gallagher and Michael McManus (2004-2005)
  • Downing Street Memo minutes of UK government secret meeting (dated 23 July 2002, leaked 2005) include summary of MI6 Director Sir Richard Dearlove's report that "Bush wanted to remove Saddam, through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD. But the intelligence and the facts were being fixed around the policy."
  • Duke Cunningham (R-CA) resigned from the House of Representatives and pleaded guilty on November 28, 2005 to charges of conspiracy to commit bribery, mail fraud and wire fraud, and tax evasion for underreporting his income in 2004. Prosecutors said Cunningham admitted to receiving at least $2.4 million in bribes.
  • Jack Abramoff, Republican lobbyist and key figure in Tom DeLay scandal, is indicted on wire fraud charges (August 2005). Representative Robert Ney (R-OH) is named as "Representative No. 1" in the indictment of Abramoff associate Michael Scanlon. Other members of Congress associated with Abramoff include Sen. David Vitter (R-LA), Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA), Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA), Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ), Rep. Don Young (R-AK), James Clyburn (D-SC), and Bennie Thompson (D-MS).
  • Abramoff-Reed Indian Gambling Scandal A separate grand jury investigation involving Jack Abramoff, Ralph Reed and Grover Norquist
  • William Jefferson (D-LA) under investigation for bribery after the FBI seized $90,000 of a $100,000 bribery payment from Jefferson's home freezer (August 2005)
  • Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL), chairman of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children and zealous champion of get-tough legislation against pedophiles, resigns from House of Representatives 29 September 2006, after reports he sent inappropriate sexually oriented e-mails and instant messages to young adult male congressional pages. (Also listed under "Sex Scandals.")

[edit] State and local-level scandals

  • Alabama Governor Harold Guy Hunt convicted of improperly using campaign money and removed from office (1993)
  • Arizona Governor Evan Mecham impeached and removed from office 1988, faced with recall, pending criminal charges for illegal financial dealings (of which he was later acquitted), and public outcry over his derogatory remarks about African-Americans and gays, and his cancellation of Arizona's observance of the Martin Luther King holiday (which led to a boycott of Arizona by various groups)
  • Arizona "AZSCAM" legislators caught on videotape taking payoffs for favors to gambling figure
  • Arizona Governor John Fife Symington III convicted of fraud (1997)
  • Arkansas Governor Powell Clayton investigated for corruption but cleared (1868-1871)
  • Arkansas Governor James Guy Tucker, Jr., convicted of fraud conspiracy (1996); See related Whitewater scandal, under Federal-Level Scandals
  • Arkansas Governor William Jefferson Clinton: See Federal-level scandals, which dogged President Clinton
  • California San Francisco Mayor Eugene Edward Schmitz convicted of graft and bribery, including misconduct during the Great Earthquake (1906-1907); convictions later overturned on appeal.
  • California State Senator and Senate Insurance Committee Chairman Alan Robbins resigned on November 21, 1991, in advance of pleading guilty to federal racketeering charges in connection with insurance-industry bribes.
  • California Insurance Commissioner Chuck Quackenbush resigned on June 28, 2000, rather than face impeachment for campaign-finance violations arising out of insurance-industry settlements after the 1994 Northridge earthquake.
  • Connecticut Republican Governor John Rowland Corruption
  • District of Columbia Democratic Mayor Marion Barry caught on videotape using drugs in an FBI sting
  • Florida Governor Harrison Reed subjected to three separate impeachment inquiries (1868-1872)
  • Illinois Chicago Hired Truck Program
  • Illinois Republican Governor George H. Ryan involved in sale of government licenses and contracts while he was Secretary of State
  • Illinois Governor Lennington Small, associate of Al Capone, embezzled, sold pardons, etc., but was never convicted
  • Illinois Chicago alderman "Bathhouse John" Coughlin graft operation with fellow alderman Michael "Hinky Dink" Kenna, the so-called "Lords of the Levee" extracting protection payments from gambling and prostitution
  • Illinois Chicago Mayor William Hale Thompson, years of ongoing corruption
  • Illinois Governor Otto Kerner, Jr. bribery, mail fraud, conspiracy, and tax evasion: see Federal-Level Scandals, as Kerner was found out and convicted after becoming a federal judge
  • Illinois former Governor Daniel Walker convicted (1987) of wrongdoing in connection with Savings & Loan and sentenced to federal penitentiary
  • Illinois Operation Greylord, involving influence peddling and bribery of Circuit Court judges (1980s)
  • Illinois state senator . Bruce A. Farley sentenced to 18 months in prison for mail fraud. 1999.
  • Illinois state senator John A. D’Arco Jr. served about 3 years in prison for bribery and extortion. 1995.
  • Illinois Chicago alderman Larence S. Bloom sentenced to 6 months in 1999 for filing a false tax return.
  • Illinois Chicago aldermanJesse J. Evans sentenced to 41 motnhs in prison in 1997 for racketeering, extortion conspiracy, attempted extortion, mail fraud, influence peddling, filing false tax returns, and obstruction of justice.
  • Illinois Chicago alderman Percy Giles sentenced to 3 years in prison for racketeering, extortion, among other things in 2000.
  • Illinois Chicago alderman Virgil E. Jones Jr. in 1999 was sentenced to 2 and a half years in prison for extortion.
  • Illinois Chicago city clerk Walter S. Kozubowski was sentenced to 5 years in prison for mail fraud.
  • Illinois Chicago alderman John S. Madrzyk sentenced to 41 months in prison for mail fraud.
  • Illinois Chicago alderman Joseph A. Martínez in 1998 pleaded guilty to ghost payrolling and was sentenced to 5 months in prison.
  • Illinois Chicago alderman Ambrosio Medrano pleaded guilty to extortion in 1996 and was sentenced to 30 months in prison.
  • Illinois Chicago alderman Allan J. Streeter pleaded guilty to extortion and was sentenced to prison in 1998.
  • Illinois Chicago alderman Fred B. Roti was sentenced to 48 months in 1993 for racketeering, conspiracy, bribery, among other things.
  • Illinois Chicago judge Thomas J. Maloney Jr. sentenced to almost 16 years in prison for taking bribes. 1994.
  • Illinois Chicago treasurer Edward Rosewell pleaded guilty to mail fraud but was not sentenced due to an illness that he died from soon after. His conviction was vacated in 1999.
  • Illinois Chicago City Treasurer Miriam Santos originally sentenced to 40 months for extortion and mail fraud but the sentence was overturned on appeal. She subsequently pleaded guilty to mail fraud and sentenced to 3 months, only served 17 days in prison.
  • Indiana Governor Warren McCray: forced to resign after conviction for mail fraud (1924)
  • Indiana Governor Edward F. Jackson: taking bribes and trying to bribe a previous Governor on behalf of the Ku Klux Klan (1928)
  • Kansas Governor Charles Robinson impeached but acquitted of state bond scheme (1862)
  • Kentucky State Treasurer James Williams "Honest Dick" Tate ran off with the entire state treasury and was impeached (1888)
  • Kentucky 1899 gubernatorial election dispute leading to armed conflict and assassination of William Goebel (1900)
  • Kentucky Majority leader Don Blandford, of the Kentucky House of Representatives sent to prison for taking bribes in 1992. (approximately 10% of Kentucky's legislature was implicated in this scandal, some took bribes for as little as $100).
  • Louisiana In what was called the Louisiana Scandals, Governor Richard W. Leche (and others including the LSU president) were convicted of corruption relating to the influence of the followers of Huey Long and the Long family.
  • Louisiana Democratic Governor Earl Long committed to insane asylum while in office
  • Louisiana Governor Edwin Edwards convicted of extortion (2000)
  • Maryland Governor Spiro Agnew (see Federal-level Scandals, as his gubernatorial misconduct did not catch up to him until after he was Vice-President of the United States)
  • Maryland Governor Marvin Mandel convicted of mail fraud and racketeering (1977)
  • Maryland State Senator Tommie Broadwater, Jr., convicted of food stamp fraud (1983)
  • Maryland State Sen. Larry Young forced out of office despite acquittal on corruption charges (1990's)
  • Maryland Lobbyist Bruce C. Bereano convicted of mail fraud in connection with campaign contributions (1990's), but later returned to lobbying in Annapolis
  • Maryland politician Ruthann Aron (Montgomery County Planning Board member and former 1994 Republican candidate for U.S. Senate) who ran on a "tough on crime" platform convicted of hiring "contract" hit man William H. Mossburg Jr., in 1997, to kill her husband and a lawyer (1998)
  • Maryland Lobbyist Gerard E. Evans convicted of fraud after dummying up legislation and collecting fees from clients to fight it
  • Maryland Banker Nathan A. Chapman Jr. found guilty of defrauding the state retirement system. State
  • Maryland Police Superintendent Edward T. Norris convicted of spending police money for personal uses while Baltimore's police chief
  • Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr. telephoning Maryland Court of Appeals Judges ex parte, trying to lobby them not to overturn the unconstitutional redistricting plan he had championed (2002)
  • Maryland Former Maryland state senator Thomas L. Bromwell indicted (2005) on 30 counts of federal racketeering, corruption, and fraud charges, in alleged six-year conspiracy ending in 2004, to wield influence to benefit construction company Poole and Kent, in exchange for concealed payments and other favors
  • Massachusetts politician James Michael Curley, various allegations of corruption and a few convictions in first half of twentieth century
  • Minnesota state senator Sam Solon Pleaded guilty in 1995 to telecommunications fraud for letting his ex-wife make $2,430 in calls on his State Senate telephone line.
  • Minnesota Minneapolis city council members Brian Herron (taped by FBI accepting $10,000 bribe in 2001) and Joe Biernat (accepting free plumbing work on house)
  • Minnesota Democratic consultant and businessman Pat Forciea convicted of extensive bank fraud charges
  • Mississippi Governor John A. Quitman resigned (1851) after indictment for violation of Neutrality Act in connection with Cuban insurrection against Spain (later acquitted of charges)
  • Missouri Thomas J. Pendergast "machine boss" in Kansas City convicted of tax fraud (1939)
  • Nebraska Governor David C. Butler impeached and removed from office (1871)
  • Nebraska State Treasurer Lorelee Byrd accused of massive improper check-writing; guilty plea to one misdemeanor charge of official misconduct (2005) and resignation (2006)
  • Nebraska Omaha City Councilman Chuck Sigerson and former Douglas County Election Commissioner Pat McPherson accused (2005) of groping a 17-year-old girl wearing Red Robin mascot costume at a local Red Robin restaurant: McPherson resigned but was acquitted; mistrial in Sigerson case (Possibly reclassify as Sex scandal, although essential allegation was offensive assault: unwelcome touching and lifting of skirt to expose underwear)
  • Nebraska State Treasurer Frank Marsh convicted of misdemeanor charges for making personal, long-distance telephone calls (1991)
  • Nebraska Omaha Mayor Mike Boyle was recalled in a special election after being accused of misconduct in office (1987)
  • Nebraska Attorney General Paul Douglas impeached by Legislature for his dealings with the head of a failed savings and loan (1984)
  • New Hampshire former Governor Llewelyn Sherman Adams Chief of Staff to President Eisenhower forced from office in "Vicuna Coat" scandal involving giving special favors to givers of gifts (1958)
  • New Jersey Jersey City Mayor Frank Hague resigns as mayor (1947) amid accusations of widespread corruption; resigns other party offices later on
  • New Jersey Democratic Governor Jim McGreevey sex and corruption scandal (2004)
  • New York Tammany Hall (1854-1934) See Federal-level scandals, because the influence of the New York City political machine was felt at the national level
  • New York highest court Chief Judge Sol Wachtler, scandal involving obsence telephone calls and extortion (1993)
  • New York Lee Alexander, Syracuse mayor, pleaded guilty to racketeering and tax evasion. Served 6 years in prison.
  • North Carolina Governor William Woods Holden impeached and removed from office in corruption scandal (1870)
  • North Dakota Governor William Langer removed from office (1934) for alleged racketeering
  • Dakota Territorial Governor Nehemiah Ordway corruption (1884) See Federal-level scandals.
  • Ohio Cincinnati City Council member (and later Mayor) Jerry Springer resigned (1974) after vice investigation uncovered personal check he had paid a prostitute
  • Ohio Summit County Probate Judge James V. Barbuto corruption by trading sexual favors with female defendants for leniency in their cases, exposed on national TV by Geraldo Rivera (1980) (classified here because it was less a Sex Scandal than a "crooked judge" scandal, although Geraldo played up Judge Barbuto's preference for being spanked while wearing women's undergarments)
  • Ohio Governor Bob Taft pleads no contest and is convicted on four first-degree misdemeanor ethics violations (2005)
  • Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation loss of $215 million in high-risk fund run by big contributor to political campaigns (Pittsburgh businessman Mark D. Lay), and loss of state funds in $50 million rare-coin investment of prominent campaign contributor Tom Noe (2005)
  • Oklahoma Governor John C. Walton impeached and removed (1923)
  • Oklahoma Governor Harry S. Johnston impeached twice, second time convicted and removed (1928-1929)
  • Oklahoma After his term, Governor David Hall convicted of criminal financial acts committed while in office (1975)
  • Oklahoma OkScam, or the County Commissioner scandal, a purchasing kickback scandal resulting in the conviction of 200 individuals, including over 2/3rds of the sitting county commissioners, representing 60 of 77 Oklahoma counties (1981-1984)
  • Oklahoma Governor David Lee Walters pleaded guilty to misdemeanor election law violation (1993)
  • Oregon Governor La Fayette Grover (later U.S. Senator) implicated, but eventually exonerated, in vote-rigging scheme to give Oregon's electoral votes in the 1876 presidential election to Democrat Samuel Tilden
  • Pennsylvania State Treasurer Budd Dwyer committed suicide on television before he was to be sentenced on bribery and related convictions (1987)
  • Rhode Island Providence Mayor Vincent Cianci convicted of racketeering conspiracy (2002)
  • Tennessee Governor Ray Blanton loses his reelection bid after exposure of a bribery scandal, (1976-1979)
  • Tennessee State Senators John Ford, Kathryn Bowers, Ward Crutchfield accused of bribery among other charges in Operation Tennessee Waltz scandal (2005)
  • Texas Governor James Edward Ferguson impeached and removed from office for financial misconduct (1917)
  • Texas Governor Miriam "Ma" Ferguson, first woman elected Governor of a state in the U.S. and wife of the removed ex-governor, was implicated in the same financial improprieties that had brought "Pa" down and lost the Democratic primary in 1926
  • Texas George Parr, the so-called "Duke of Duval County," suspected but never convicted of various illegal activities, including ballot box stuffing and fraud (1905-1975)
  • Texas The Veterans Land Board Scandal tainted many prominent state politicians, including Governor Allan Shivers. (1954)
  • Texas Sharpstown scandal (1971-1972)
  • Washington Spokane Mayor James West, an opponent of gay rights, denied accusatinos of having molested two boys while he was a sheriff’s deputy and Boy Scout leader in the late 1970's and early 1980's, but came under investigation (2005) for offering municipal jobs to men he met in gay online chat rooms; West was ousted in recall vote December 2005
  • Wisconsin Governor William Augustus Barstow resigned 1856 amid investigation of corrupt business practices and election wrongdoing
  • Wisconsin Caucus Scandal, 2002

See also List of Corrupt Chicago Aldermen.

[edit] Sex scandals

See also, Accusations of rape against U.S. presidents

[edit] See also

[edit] References

Grossman, Mark. Political Corruption in America: An Encyclopedia of Scandals, Power, and Greed. (2003).

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