Political Scandals

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Scandal 21: Lincoln’s Secretary of War Jun 16, 2020

Show notes

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.

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Scandal 22: Spiro Agnew Jun 09, 2020

Show notes

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.

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Scandal 24: Budd Dwyer May 26, 2020

Show notes

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...

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Scandal 25: The Election of 1960 May 19, 2020

Show notes

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.

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Scandal 26: Abscam May 12, 2020

Show notes

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.

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Scandal 27: Brooks-Sumner Affair May 05, 2020

Show notes

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.

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Scandal 28: The XYZ Affair Apr 28, 2020

Show notes

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.

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Scandal 29: Rod Blagojevich Apr 21, 2020

Show notes

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.

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Scandal 30: Crédit Mobilier Apr 14, 2020

Show notes

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.

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Scandal 31: Chandra Levy Apr 07, 2020

Show notes

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.

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