Political Scandals

Today we’re bringing you a special two-part episode from another Spotify Original from Parcast. If you enjoy it, check out Crimes of Passion on Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!  The vengeful murder of newspaper editor Gaston Calmette shocked Paris in 1914. The trial to follow was one of the most scandalous in French history.

Today we’re bringing you a special two-part episode from another Spotify Original from Parcast. If you enjoy it, check out Crimes of Passion on Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!  The vengeful murder of newspaper editor Gaston Calmette shocked Paris in 1914. The trial to follow was one of the most scandalous in French history.

The first and only presidential resignation belongs to Richard Nixon, whose failed attempt at spying on his political opponents led to one of the most elaborate cover-ups in American history.

In the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan’s administration secretly — and illegally — traded weapons of war to Iran in exchange for the release of American hostages, then used the proceeds to fund a Nicaraguan rebel army known as the Contras.

In 1995, 49-year-old president Bill Clinton began an affair with 22-year-old White House intern, Monica Lewinsky. The affair would lead to impeachment hearings in Congress, nearly ruin Lewinsky's reputation, and instigate an atmosphere of inexorable Congressional partisanship that continues to this day. 

On February 24, 1868, the United States House of Representatives initiated impeachment proceedings against Andrew Johnson for "high crimes and misdemeanors," eventually leading Johnson to become the first U.S. President to be impeached. 

In the 1950s, Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy’s anti-Communist crusade polarized the nation. Convinced that officials had let Communists infiltrate the military, McCarthy zeroed in on his biggest target yet: the Army. It took a month of tense Senate hearings to uncover the truth… 

The fight over Florida’s election results would become a fierce battle of wills between Al Gore and George W. Bush, with the clash over the presidency eventually boiling into the federal courts. 

It began in 1956: A covert FBI operation that targeted so-called “subversives” suspected of having Communist ties. Later, the domestic spying program turned its focus toward the Civil Rights Movement. 

In July 2003, Valerie Wilson was outed as a spy in The Washington Post. The man behind her unveiling? Vice President Dick Cheney’s Chief of Staff, a man named Scooter Libby, who informed reporters about the undercover CIA agent in an act of retaliation against her husband.

Without even completing the traditional one-year mourning period for his deceased first wife, Woodrow Wilson met, courted, and proposed to a younger woman who claimed she wanted nothing to do with politics. She had no idea that someday, she’d be called upon to secretly govern in his stead.

After assuming the presidency in 1921, 55-year-old Warren G. Harding didn’t seem to take the job seriously. Not only did he spend most of his time playing poker and golf, he staffed his presidential cabinet with his best pals—some of whom turned out to be career criminals. 

The intense feud between Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams festered for years before the rivals went to head-to-head in a vicious rematch. Accusations of cannibalism and sex trafficking were just the beginning of their slanderous campaigns meant to tear the other down.

After President Monroe’s so-called “Era of Good Feelings,” bitter factions from the North, South and West fought for power. With four presidential candidates battling for votes in the House of Representatives, the mudslinging was fierce—and the outcome contentious. 

From successful lawyer to Senator to disgraced presidential candidate… John Edwards’ political star rose and fell in the decade between 1997 and 2008. With his wife Elizabeth dying of cancer, he had an affair, impregnated his mistress, and used everything—and everyone—at his disposal to cover it up. 

By 1985, Charles Keating had parlayed his go-getter’s hustle and dubious ethical compass into a multi-million dollar banking and real estate empire. When a federal investigation threatened everything, he called in a favor to five U.S. senators, including John McCain and John Glenn. 

Dedicated public servant, or Soviet spy? In the late 1940s, the American public was transfixed by the accusations against Alger Hiss. But Hiss would not be deterred by his nemesis Whittaker Chambers, a nine hour Congressional hearing, or even the dogged Richard Nixon. 

In the late 1700s, William Blount was a land speculator-turned-senator. A failed conspiracy to get himself out of debt triggered the first impeachment trial in United States history. 

He made a career out of keeping secrets, starting in a wartime intelligence group and working his way up to Director of the CIA in 1966. But when Congress questioned him about U.S. involvement in the 1970 Chilean presidential election, Helms found himself caught between two oaths—one to secrecy, and one to truth-telling. 

President Andrew Jackson had just secured the presidency in 1828 when his good friend married a scandalous Washington widow. As the wives and daughters of D.C.'s elite retaliated, Jackson was forced to make a decision that would alter his cabinet—and set Martin Van Buren up for the future presidency.

Colorado Senator Gary Hart was set to make a splash with his second attempt to campaign for the Democratic nomination for President in 1988… but he didn't even make it to the July convention before the Miami Herald ran an explosive story about his affair with a young socialite.

The unspoken code of turning a blind eye to the private lives of Congresspeople was broken open in the 19th century. That’s when journalist Jane Swisshelm revealed the secret mistress and child of Senator Daniel Webster, bringing his unexpected vote for popular sovereignty during the Compromise of 1850 under direct fire.

Like some of the other figures we’ve covered, Simon Cameron reached the top of the political ladder, only to have to ultimately resign in shame. What makes Cameron’s situation unique is that he stumbled into the wrong position at the wrong time—as Secretary of War, during the outbreak of the Civil War.

Though Spiro Agnew’s life and political career is generally considered a footnote to that of his much more famous boss, unlike Nixon, Agnew actually was a convicted felon. And to this day, he’s the only vice president in history to resign in disgrace.

At the height of his power in the 1860s, William “Boss” Tweed was the head of Tammany Hall, the Democratic political machine that controlled New York City. Tweed’s greed and ill-gotten assets made him obscenely rich—all while the taxpayers suffered.

During the late 1980s, Pennsylvania State Treasurer Budd Dwyer was in charge of awarding a bidding contract to repay state teachers for tax overpayments. But when an investigation into bribery ensued, Dwyer's mental health began to unravel, yielding dire consequences...

As the exciting game of cat and mouse between former Vice President Richard Nixon and Massachusetts senator John F. Kennedy came to a head in the general election, discrepancies in the electoral ballot count that slotted Kennedy as the winner came to light, opening a trove of questions about voting foul play.

In the late 1970s, the FBI’s Abscam case showed the American public exactly how low many elected officials were willing to go for money. Many Americans applauded the Bureau for exposing the conmen in Congress. But some say Abscam was the FBI’s retaliation against Congress for investigating federal agents’ abuse of power.

In 1856, a nearly deadly clash between two Congressmen occurred on the floor of the Senate. South Carolina Representative Preston Smith Brooks brought his gold-tipped cane to confront Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner over what he deemed to be an inflammatory speech.

In the late 1790s, President John Adams sent three American envoys to Paris to negotiate with France's foreign minister in hopes of avoiding the slippery slope to war. But the result of such diplomatic brinkmanship yielded grave consequences.

Former Illinois Governor Rod Blajojevich made a name for himself in politics by insisting he was the anti-corruption candidate the state needed. However, when he was arrested in late 2008 and charged with corruption, Blajojevich would prove that he was no different than the men who'd come before him.

In the 1860s, the Union Pacific Railroad Company was commissioned to build the first transcontinental railroad. Looking to cash in, their directors contracted the work out to Crédit Mobilier, their shell corporation. After massively overcharging the federal government, they then sold their shares back to Congressmen as bribes.

In 2001, former Washington intern Chandra Levy went missing after a hiking day trip. This prompted a months-long search revealing she had been entangled with a much older California Congressman.

In a state known for high-profile corruption, Illinois Secretary of State George Ryan was no exception. His corruption would help out his family, his buddies...and ultimately let innocent citizens die, thanks to dangerous forged licenses distributed around the state in the 1990s. 

In the early 1900s, “Bathhouse John” Coughlin and Michael “Hinky Dink” Kenna set about rigging the city's political machine in their favor, contributing to the rise of organized crime in Chicago, and putting their careers on a collision course with the law.

In the 1950s, at the height of Communist paranoia, Republican Senators Styles Bridges and Joe Welker went after Democratic Senator Lester Hunt in an attempt to blackmail him into giving up his coveted seat in Congress.

President Grover Cleveland is often remembered for his mustache, or perhaps his anti-corruption agenda. Fewer people know about the son he fathered through sexual assault—and the ensuing scandal that threatened his election to the White House.

The 1991 House baking scandal may have rocked Capitol Hill, but it was proved to be the tip of the iceberg for Kentucky Democratic Representative Caroll Hubbard. He was found guilty of siphoning his Congressional funds for a variety of inappropriate uses, including his wife's own campaign for Congress.

As Jimmy Carter’s younger brother, Billy Carter was no stranger to national attention or public scrutiny. Being next of kin to the President let him establish himself as a celebrity in his own right. But in the months leading up to the 1980 presidential election, it would become clear that Billy had been up to far more serious business. He had been making international trips and deals that could ruin his brother’s reelection.

Under President Ulysses S. Grant, John MacDonald created one of the most lucrative scams ever to grace the spirits business, leading to a trial that had the President himself doing the unheard of: testifying as a witness on behalf of the defendant.

In the years before the American Civil War, the territory of Kansas was fraught with conflict between abolitionist Free Soilers and Pro-slavery Southerners. Statehood for Kansas hung in the balance of one election dictating which party would lead the local government in its quest for the Union.

On the surface, Tom Eagleton seemed the ideal running mate for George McGovern’s 1972 presidential campaign. But upon closer examination, there were odd details about Eagleton—details that contributed to one of the worst presidential election defeats in history.

He was one of the strangest, most colorful men to ever tread the House of Representatives. After successfully defending himself against a racketeering charge in the early 1980s, James Traficant knew the FBI would stay close—looking for any opportunity to take him down.

He was President Richard Nixon’s ace-in-the-hole for the U.S. Supreme Court in 1970. The Senate had other thoughts—rejecting G. Harrold Carswell’s nomination after reporters uncovered a speech in which he endorsed racial segregation as a legislative candidate in Georgia.

Most people would be hard-pressed to name even one of John Jay’s accomplishments. In fact, there was a time when Jay had a path to the presidency. But before he even got that shot, Jay ran for Governor of New York. And despite getting more votes than his opponent, Jay was declared the loser.

After becoming Governor of Louisiana in 1928, Huey Long was on a warpath. He sought to force out anyone who opposed him and take control of the state through any means necessary.

It was a scandal in which defense contractors paid bribes to members of Congress and officials in the U.S. Defense Department. Most notable amongst the recipients of the bribes was California Congressman Duke Cunningham, who pleaded guilty in 2005 to receiving over $2.3 million in bribes.

He was a politician, frontiersman, lawyer, and naval officer. But above all, Robert Potter was the ultimate sore loser. After failing in a House of Commons race, he challenged his opponent to a duel.

After years of turmoil brought on by the Civil War, Reconstruction, and corruption in the Grant Administration, the new president was tasked with getting the country back on track. Instead, the country experienced one of the most corrupt elections ever.

After serving terms in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, war hero Richard Johnson nearly derailed the presidential election of 1836 due to his marriage to Julia Chinn... his own slave.

In July of 1969, shortly after leaving a party that he was hosting, senator Ted Kennedy drove his Oldsmobile off a wooden bridge into a tide-swept pond. Kennedy escaped the submerged car, but his 28-year old passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne, did not. 

In 2004, Jack Abramoff was on top of the lobbying game. He was also bilking his own clients out of millions of dollars. By January of 2006, he pled guilty to mail fraud, conspiracy, wire fraud, and tax evasion. But the most surprising part is where Abramoff is now.

Bribery, greed, murder, and a mind-boggling $60,000,000 worth of solid gold: In 1869, two men and their get-rich scheme brought the U.S. economy to its knees in what we now remember as Black Friday.

In 1797, Alexander Hamilton revealed that he had an extramarital affair with a married woman. Known as the “Hamilton-Reynolds Affair,” this story was America's first sex scandal...but it was hardly the last.

In 2007, Deborah Jeane Palfrey was indicted for racketeering and money laundering. Her escort service’s client list included men from the highest reaches of the U.S. government, stretching all the way into the dark halls of the White House. 

The match-up between sitting president John Adams, and his own vice president, Thomas Jefferson—an election so rife with backstabbing, mudslinging, and constitutional controversy that it nearly led to a civil war.

Every Tuesday leading up to the 2020 election, Parcast’s new limited series Political Scandals counts down the 54 most controversial events in American history—uncovering the ugly truth behind some of our most infamous elected officials. From Watergate and Lewinsky to Iran Contra and the 2000 Recount, dig deeper into the stories you knew—thought you knew—or had no idea changed the face of politics. Political Scandals premieres Sunday, November 3rd, with new episodes available every Tuesday thereafter. Listen free on Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe today!