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As I’ve talked to people, and read some of the news, this is what I’ve gathered:Low voter turnout for Clinton relative to Obama. She did not click with Black voters or Whites (she lost both college-educated and lower-educated White voters for what it’s worth).The culture of politics in the United States. Ok everyone, people in the US say politics is a circus. They’re totally right. We do not have a government regulated, objective, hard-hitting, journalistically-based news source. The UK has the BBC. Canada has BBC World. We used to have the Fairness Doctrine which provided broadcasting regulation, but it was repealed in the 80’s. I really couldn’t give more of a damn about Trump’s pussy grabbing stuff relative to his poor speaking abilities and lack of basic understanding of how the government works. I clicked past the sensational stuff and right to transcripts of his speeches. I rarely listened to his speeches because his affect is offensive to me (yelling and commanding tone with simple phrases repeated over and over — don’t patronize me). But reading his speeches confirmed to me my worst fears.Lack of good information. Yeah, so while everyone was distracted by pussy grabbing and Pizzagate, I was trying to sift through the policy and see what was going on. I bookmarked the Trump-Pence website and took notes on their policy. I did the same with Clinton and Sanders. I wanted specific, practical solutions to the problems, and Trump’s website didn’t ever outline those specific solutions. I checked back once a day for two weeks before I gave up.A lot of unjustified, frankly dramatic, White angst. It basically hadn’t ever been smushed down or extinguished as much as it wasn’t given attention. So, as an issue with a sizable population to mine for votes and no real negative connotations with the public, it was leveraged for political gain. People always say, “Blue collar this, poor white people that…” in reference to the election. That population felt ticked because they did/do not have the skills to keep up in today’s economy. We had a focus on why Black populations were failing, and had established that their communities were collapsing in on themselves for reasons A, B, and C. Hispanics worked the jobs nobody else wanted to. Asians were the model minorities and became educated to enter into professional fields and achieve upward mobility. Jews did the same. There are not enough Native Americans to cause trouble, so their communities have been crumbling silently for years.We had his focus on Blacks, though, because at one time in the not so distant past poor Whites could work in factories and get a pension+good benefits; this focus on helping Black culture was from a time where Blacks were segregated and couldn’t vote. Black people were getting killed in the streets and their perpetrators were getting no more than a, “Why, I oughta…what a naughty thing to do!” slap on the wrist. That’s psychotic. Of course focus on shoring up Black communities was appropriate as reparations. Obviously their communities were devastated. Now, though, in the November 2017 election the next generation of those Whites had seen the opportunities their grandparents had evaporated. Oh, now it’s time to be mad and blame some (any) other race. Now it’s time to get civically involved.Now all of sudden they weren’t getting what they felt was due to them despite being completely fine with inequities in the past that had resulted in their benefit. If every one of those White people would’ve stood arm in arm and gotten sprayed by fire hoses in protest for Black voting rights when the time came in the Civil Rights movement, then I’d be convinced their current complaints were out of genuine concern for the nation’s well-being and were something that amounted to more than just pouty nationalism to achieve ends that, frankly, they do not deserve any more than other under-served or struggling communities.There was/is no justifiable entitlement to these things that these poor Whites had and that they want back. If they would stand with their other fellow citizens, that would show me it wasn’t some self-serving entitlement talking. Instead, they’ve decided to lash out at people. With no one and nothing to bring them down, the problem has gotten out of hand. Poor White’s response as a whole has not been that of the Hispanics, Asians, or Jews. Black communities have responded with internal efforts, Asians, Jews, and Indians have overachieved, and Hispanics have hard work no matter what kind of work as long as it’s an honest day’s, as a cultural value; they take the hard jobs with no benefits Whites expect and they limited complaints (because they’re parasites to the system of course).By the way, do poor Whites know why they were able to get factory jobs so easily? Military-industrial complex as a result of World War II. After we agreed to become part of the Allied Forces and during the war we were helping countries involved in the war by shipping over military equipment, food/rations, etc. All that stuff to keep an army going. Why were we basically the main supplier of these things? Because our factories weren’t getting blown up. The war was not being fought in our country. It’s not because we were better at doing stuff. It’s not because our products were necessarily superior. It’s because our factories weren’t decimated by bombings. Our people were not displaced because their homes had been blown up or stormed by the Nazis.The Baby Boom came after World War II and we were killin’ it because, again, our economy had been enriched due to the whole not-having-blown-up buildings/homes/factories and we didn’t have to put in resources to recover from the war the same way Europe had to. Unskilled labor was very much needed. But, sorry, I don’t think it’s worth it to engage in a World War not fought in our country and capitalize off of the need for unskilled labor so that all of our people can be employed sufficiently. The best answer is to retrain with appropriate skills for today’s economy.Baby Boomers in the United were the first generation to be witness to targeted marketing. The 50’s, and even 60’s, were a time when the advertising industry changed rapidly to capitalize off of the newfound wealth the population had compared to World War 1 and the Great Depression. The medium of television and cable offered great opportunities for marketers/advertisers to make their products come to life for children (who, of course, asked their parents if they could have those things). Rampant consumerism became the norm.And, boy, did that advertising work. Baby Boomers as a generation still spend the most money. Kids wore plastic Mickey Mouse hats as they watched Disney TV programs. They had more doodads and toys than their parents or grandparents ever did as children, or that any of those previous generations could ever dream of as children. I think that’s natural to want to give your children a better life than you did, but it was arguably the beginning of such entitlement — unbridled consumerism became the norm, and now people expected to have the resources to live that life so they could buy unnecessary shit.Today, us Millenials — despite outnumbering Boomers numbers-wise — are not having children. Our fertility rates are way lower than the Boomers. Probably because we’re broke AF. There’s no way it’s a good decision to have a kid when you’re not financially stable yourself. We have more of a focus on environmental and social issues. We buy designer clothes from places like Costco and Sam’s Club. We are necessarily not spending as much as our parents at our age did because we do not have kids.There are movements in the Millenial generation such as minimalism which brought along with it the idea of tiny house and micro-apartments. Our generation does engage in consumerism, of course, and for people who have children the rate of consumerism is the highest. But there’s also a large portion of us who having changed the trend and are not engaging in consumerism as heavily. Boomers did not have a notable size of their generation ever do this.In short, the way Boomers were raised gave rise to their entitlement to a certain lifestyle. And, frankly, you don’t need your Tickle-me-Elmo to live a good life. I’m not sold on their cries for help in this respect; a middle-class lifestyle (and the freedom to buy whatever kitschy stuff you want) has to be gotten by appropriate jobs that will contribute to the economy as such (i.e. skilled, service-oriented labor). I think it’s reasonable to expect social programs to help facilitate the retraining transition, but it’s not reasonable to be all, “Why can’t I just work in the coal mines and live a middle-class lifestyle?!” It’s because the economy’s changed and your skills are not economically valuable anymore. That’s why. It is one thing to be like — ok. I’m trying my best here, or I’m working 3 low-wage jobsAnd I need help living a financially stable life. It’s another to demand the entire energy economy change via national trade to support your skills (?? Was that the deal?) so you can live a stable life. $15 minimum wage is fair because it lines up with inflation. those workers are, with adjusted prices, doing $15/hr work. Coal jobs are literally NOT needed and are being cut little by little. That’s a sign of your industry dying.It does not feel good to be disenfranchised; Whites were experiencing this for possibly the first time as a group...maybe ever in the United States. Interesting. Donald Trump glommed onto this and produced childish, impractical solutions to this population. He leveraged the focus on other race’s problems as proof of a “Culture War”; this captured more White voters. Oh, and there was a tangible and simple solution — keep them out and build a wall. Also, Mexico will pay for it. Anyway, those opportunities and benefits are not coming back for unskilled workers. Coal is not the answer; other races and cultures in the United States have evolved and found ways to adapt to the increasingly globalist economy. Those groups are not to blame for taking jobs; the lack of adaptability and short sighted voting from Whites for detrimental policy is to blame. If social Darwinism is your thing — which it seems to be, as applied selectively by the GOP and conservatives — the fact that this population has been left behind is a clear signal for essential, internal cultural changes to the White population need to be implemented.The problem with social Darwinism, of course, is that the people in need don’t get help because the people on top “deserve” it. Poor Whites are screwing themselves over with selective application of things that actually apply to their own communities. It’s blocking their own internal evaluations and blocking their access potential resources (“yeah, let’s roll back Medicaire because those other people are just mooching off of it!”).The answer isn’t to smush down other cultures because they’re “at war” with you. You all fell behind. Totally ok, you can have help, but your anger is overblown. Focus more inward and not outward because that’s where you’ll find the scrappiness and ingenuity to adapt. That’s how you’re going to know what resources to ask for; that’s how you change your culture. The environment isn’t your problem; the rest of the world isn’t going to change on globalism/trade, skilled trade marketability, or population reduction so more of the kinds of trades y’all are comfortable with are available to make your deal easier. Adapt like everyone else has. The ability for White Trump voters to put their fingers in their ears and ignore world trends/plausible changes that could benefit their states of affairs while simultaneously having no insight into their own problems without relation to other races is neither impressive nor American. Get it together.[1]Do I think other cultures should be critiqued so that they improve? Yes. But I think we’ve all done that and other cultures have worked to help fix their under-served populations with internal, cultural solutions and/or government assistance instead of having a tantrum and voting for a man who, formal communication-wise at least, is charitably below par or, uncharitably, an idiot.People have been talking about how to improve the Black community, and even Black leaders like Bill Cosby have had controversial speeches addressing this such as “Why We Lost to the White Man” which places the responsibility squarely on the shoulders of Blacks.Below is a picture of notes written on a White House paper from a notepad which outlines how to communicate when you’re listening to victims of a recent shooting. The paper is held by Donald Trump. What the fuck? Put this man in a 1000-level Communications and Interpersonal Relations course and make sure he isn’t just throwing paper airplanes around every day.This is stuff he would know if he practiced high-level communication and/or intuitively knew how to engage in it. He, as a 74-year-old man, does not have these skills. How does one get these skills? By interacting with people of all kinds — by volunteering in the community. By listening to people’s stories. He has absolutely no idea how to start meaningful problem solving with regards to public policy. He sees no value in engaging with those communities in need so he actually finds a solution. He has no context or framework; he knows how to razzle dazzle, though, oh yeah..a new slogan or a new logo.I am not surprised at him struggling. We can’t all just forget the 90’s happening — he was a penthouse playboy and living it up. Do you meet poor, or even average, people in this world which he flaunted that he was clearly a part of? No, you watch them on the news and flip the channel when you get bored.Above, a picture written on a White House paper from a notepad which outlines how to communicate when you’re listening to victims of a recent shooting held during a conference with said victims by President Donald Trump.Source: Trump's note card for Parkland shooting discussion: 'I hear you'His children — key to his administration — do shit like this after such an event. You can put pearls on a pig, but it’s still going to oink. Lack of class, being gauche, and lack of compassion at its finest. I actually liked “The Apprentice”. I liked him as a reality TV star. I strongly dislike him as my representative and as President of the United States. He’s unqualified and he sucks. But, he used rhetoric to convince swaths of people, unjustified in their angst, to vote for him. They were not thinking of their country; they were thinking only of themselves.I’d like to have my representatives be able to write and speak well; they will be communicating with highly educated world leaders who need to take my country seriously. I also do not want to find it patronizing to my intelligence or offensive to listen to my President’s speeches because of its low level of delivery and writing. He will be in history books for forever among so many great people, and he will have used 4th grade level speaking and childish policy to have established his place there. That is shameful in itself.And that’s how the Nightmare Before Thanksgiving came to be.[1] Not a whole lot of people see it the same way as me. And Whites have no problem telling other people to, “Pull themselves up by the bootstraps.” A phrase which, by the way, originated from the same place as people saying ridiculous things such as, “As wild as a jumpin’ bean!” It means literally nothing valuable. Boots and how they work + social/economic inequalities have nothing to do with each other.Other under served communities get shut down, anyway, for appeals for help. Native Americans can barely get it together for petitioning because nobody takes them seriously due to their numbers being low. If poor Whites need social programs to prop themselves up, fine, but change your attitudes. I support centralized planning and expanded government; I want my tax dollars to enrich the lives of people in need. But y’all’s attitudes suck. It’s fucked up, the selective critique, too. It’s a symptom of problems in your culture.Anyhow, people who are White need to stop being complicit/silent and/or saying batshit crazy things Whites need to stand up for what is actually right (and that is not White Might, by the way). White leaders need to stop egging on dumb rhetoric and bad attitudes. Until those things start to happen, I’m skeptical that any calls for White discrimination are anything but manufactured rhetoric to incite hate and distract from policy that could actually help a lot of under served communities.Do Whites think that other cultures are siphoning off resources for their own communities? Nope. White non-hispanics receive 69% of governmental benefits which is proportional to their 64% of the population. I think that’s fine. But Whites are also getting governmental assistance proportional to the poor in other cultures and they’re not doing a great job using it. Then they have to audacity to blame other cultures for their shortcomings. No no no no. Stop it.Other people feel your pain, and this example of a White nationalist being hugged by a Black man at an event where a White nationalist/eugenicist was speaking at a university. That shows me that other cultures are receptive to efforts working together. I don’t mean to throw shade at Whites because I think they don’t deserve help. Yes, Whites deserve help just as much as other communities. But, man, they’re doing some weird and bad things to strike out with their cries for help that no other cultures are engaging in en masse. What makes them so special and excused from regular conduct? [2][2] There’s a certain tone and apologist attitude for this conduct by White communities, too, in the media.Examples:On White, under-served communitiesi. Why poor white Americans are dying of despair… “Despair”ii. The Invisible Poverty of ‘Poor White Trash’ “Invisible”iii. The Lonely Poverty of America's White Working Class “Lonely”iv. America's poorest white town: abandoned by coal, swallowed by drugs “Abandoned”vs.On Black, under-served communitiesi. The Racial Wealth Gap: Why A Typical White Household Has 16 Times The Wealth Of A Black Oneii. Title: US Education Still Separate and Unequalhttps://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2015/01/28/us-education-still-separate-and-unequaliii. America’s Racial Divide, ChartedWow, now we’re all, “Just the facts, ma’am?” This leaves the interpretation as to why these inequalities are happening up to the reader. And that is influenced majorly about how you choose to interpret why social ills pop up (e.g. is it because there is institutionalized racism — a sociological phenomenon that’s been hard to convince people of — or is it because a lack of God or the Respect for the United States or laziness? All of the latter being something a lot of conservatives are convinced of)There’s no reference in the titles to the abandonment of Black communities, or implication that because they’ve been discriminated against that this has led to their downfall/isolation from opportunities others have in some part. that we’ve somehow failed them institutionally. Even though I’ve picked out comparable publications between my two examples.Why is lack of application of appropriate agency attributed to Blacks and other communities for their problems but not poor Whites? That’s my problem with this understanding, to clarify.To end my really long answer, people say politics are based on opinions. Opinions can be well-informed ones, though, and I really am thinking an empirical approach and understanding derived from sociological trends and history would really help us out here. I am super tired of Conservative rhetoric on this issue; it’s honestly an irresponsible & detrimental practice to engage in, and every single one of them should be ashamed. I think neo-Liberalism is a problem, too, and the Democratic party has shifted too far Right and has not stood up for what needs to be done for under-served and suffering populations themselves.Strangely enough, being Right has turned out to be incredibly, devastatingly Wrong.

Meanwhile, back on planet Earth, here's a list cribbed from Wikipedia. It certainly treads lightly on our representatives--the list is almost certainly far longer. A person could get oh, what's the word, disenchanted? Disillusioned?Since one of my graduate degrees in in American studies, and I've read more American history than anyone I know except my daughter, but that's because I'm older than she is, I hate to call your question laughable, but it is certain naive. Let's face it, not everyone has a taste for knowing how screwed they're getting.Even some of the legislators who have accomplished a lot of good haven't been exempt from bribes and use of coercion. It's almost a given. What do you think they're called politicians for?They couldn't make up plots for TV for the kinds of bizarrely grabby, entitled and corrupt practices that have been in place in Congress nearly since its beginning.Historians (not me) widely considering the congresses under the following administrations to be THE most corrupt:Bush IIReaganNixonLyndon JohnsonWarren G. HardingUlysses S. GrantAndrew JacksonList of federal political scandals in the United StatesFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_federal_political_scandals_in_the_United_States#mw-This article provides a list of federal political scandals of the United States, sorted from most recent date to least recent.ContentScope and organization of political scandals[edit]The article is organized by presidential terms and then divided into scandals of the Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches. Members of both parties are listed under the term of the president in office at the time the scandal took place.Scandals; There is no hard and fast rule defining scandals. Scandal is defined as "loss of or damage to reputation caused by actual or apparent violation of morality or propriety." In politics scandal should be kept separate from 'controversy,' (which implies two differing points of view) and 'unpopularity.' Many decisions are controversial, many decisions are unpopular—that alone does not make them scandals.A good rule of thumb is whether or not an action is, or appears to be, illegal. Since everyone, particularly a politician, is expected to be a law abiding citizen, breaking the law is, by definition, a scandal. Misunderstandings, breaches of ethics, unproven crimes or cover-ups may or may not result in scandals depending on who is bringing the charges, the amount of publicity garnered, and the seriousness of the crime, if any. The finding of a court with jurisdiction is the sole method used to determine a violation of law.There is no hard line to distinguish major scandals from minor scandals, but rather scandals tend to be defined by the public itself and the media's desire to feed that particular frenzy. Thus, small but salacious scandals, such as Larry Craig's (Republican from Idaho) arrest for lewd behavior can eclipse more serious scandals such as suspending the Writ of Habeas Corpus in time of war.What is also not so clear, is how far down the ladder of obscurity a scandal should go. During the Truman (D) administration, 196 local IRS staffers were found to be corrupt, but they were so far removed from Washington, Truman or any of his appointees, that it could hardly be called a 'Truman scandal.'Also not included in this article are pervasive systemic scandals, such as the role of money in normal politics, which purchases access and influence. Neither are 'revolving door' stories, which is the practice of hiring government officials to promote or lobby for companies they were recently paid to regulate. Though some rules now apply, to a great extent this is legal in the United States.Politicians are those who make their living primarily in politics, their staffs and appointees. By definition, political scandals should involve politicians and not private citizens. Private citizens should be included only when they are closely linked to elected or appointed politicians such as party officials. Kenneth Lay of Enron is a good example of such a citizen. This list also does not include crimes that occur outside the politician's tenure unless they specifically stem from acts while they were in office.To keep the article a manageable size, Senators and Congressmen who are rebuked, admonished, condemned, suspended, found in contempt, found to have acted improperly, used poor judgement or were reprimanded by Congress are not included unless the scandal is exceptional or leads to expulsion.At the bottom of the article are links to related articles which deal with politicians who are actually convicted of crimes, as well as differentiating between federal, state and local scandals and two separate articles are devoted to sex crimes and scandals.Federal government scandals[edit]2009–present Barack Obama Administration[edit]Executive Branch[edit]Veterans Health Administration scandal of 2014 - It was discovered that officials in the Phoenix VA hospital lied about how long the wait times were for veterans to see a doctor.[1] An investigation of delays is being conducted by the Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General.[2][3] The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, General Eric Shinseki, voluntarily resigned.[4]ATF gunwalking scandal – Attorney General Eric Holder was held in Contempt of Congress after refusing to release all documents which the House of Representatives had demanded concerning the Fast and Furious gun walking operation. (2012)[5]Terence Flynn, an appointee of Barack Obama to the National Labor Relations Board, resigned in May 2012 after being accused of serious ethical violations by leaking information to the National Association of Manufacturers.[6]Martha N. Johnson, head of the General Services Administration, fired two top GSA officials and then resigned herself after it was revealed that $822,000 had been spent in Las Vegas on a four-day training conference for 300 GSA employees. (2010)[7][8][9][10]IRS admitted to inappropriate investigation of conservative political groups associated with the Tea Party.[11] Later, it was found that the IRS investigated liberal and progressive groups as well and that initial stories of conservative groups receiving special scrutiny were false.[12][13][14] President Obama labeled the IRS's actions "inexcusable" and Attorney General Eric Holder, an Obama appointee, launched an investigation into the scandal.[15][16] The president demanded and accepted the resignation of Steven T. Miller Acting Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service. Other actions arising from the scandal included:Joseph H. Grant, commissioner of the IRS Tax-exempt and Government entities division, resigned on May 16.[17]Lois Lerner, head of the IRS Office of Exempt Organizations, stated she had not done anything wrong and then took the Fifth before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.[18] She retired after an internal investigation found that she neglected her duties and was going to call for her ouster.[19]Katherine Archuleta, who was the director of the Office of Personnel Management, was forced to resign on July 10, 2015 after the data theft of information on 22 million people who had applied for security clearances.[20]Legislative[edit]Dennis Hastert (R-IL) pled not guilty to charges that he violated banking rules and lied to the FBI in a scheme to pay $3.5 million in hush money to conceal sexual misconduct with an under age boy from his days as a high school wrestling coach, from 1965 to 1981.(2015)[21][22]Aaron Schock (R-IL) resigned from office after evidence surfaced that he used campaign funds for travel, redecorated his office with taxpayer funds to resemble the sets of the Downton Abbey TV series, and otherwise spent campaign and/or taxpayer money on other questionable personal uses.(2015)[23]Schock's senior adviser Benjamin Cole had resigned earlier after he allegedly condemned "hood rats" and "black miscreants" in internet posts. Schock's office stated, "I am extremely disappointed by the inexcusable and offensive online comments made by a member of my staff."[24]Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI) resigned his Congressional seat. Four of his staff were convicted by the state of Michigan of falsifying signatures on McCotter's reelection petitions for the 2012 elections. Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette (R) blamed McCotter for running a slipshod, leaderless operation. "The congressman has resigned in disgrace", Schuette said, though McCotter was not charged.[25]Paul Seewald worked for McCotter as his District Director of the Michigan's 11th congressional district. He pled guilty to nine counts of falsely signing a nominating petition as circulator. He was sentenced to two years' probation and 100 hours of community service, and ordered to pay court costs and fees.[26]Don Yowchuang worked for McCotter as Deputy District Director of the Michigan 11th Congressional District. He pleaded guilty to ten counts of forgery and six counts of falsely signing a nominating petition and was sentenced to three years of probation, 200 hours of community service, court costs and fees.[27]Mary M. Turnbull was McCotter's Representative to the Michigan 11th Congressional District. She was convicted of conspiring to commit a legal act in an illegal manner and falsely signing a nominating petition. She was sentenced to two years of probation, a day in jail, and 200 hours of community service. She was also ordered to pay a $1,440 fine. In addition, she is forbidden from any participation in elections or the political process.[28]Lorianne O'Brady worked as a scheduler for McCotter in the Michigan 11th Congressional District. She pleaded no contest to charges that she falsely claimed to have legally collected signatures to get McCotter on the ballot when she actually had not. She was sentenced to 20 days in jail and a work program plus $2,625 in fines and court costs.[29]Senator Mitch McConnell's (R-KY) campaign manager Jesse Benton (R) resigned when details of a bribery scandal from Ron Paul's 2012 presidential campaign came to light. (2014).[30]David Rivera (R-FL) was indicted as a co-conspirator with Campaign Manager Ana Alliegro who pleaded guilty to violation of US campaign laws in an $81,000 campaign-finance scheme to prop up a little-known Democratic candidate who used the illegal cash to trash Rivera's rival in the 2012 Democratic primary.[31][32]Rick Renzi (R-AZ) on June 12, 2013, was found guilty of 17 counts against him, which included wire fraud, conspiracy, extortion, racketeering, money laundering, and making false statements to insurance regulators.[33]Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) was arrested on December 23, 2012, and later pleaded guilty to drinking and driving in a Virginia court. The court fined him 250 dollars. He was sentenced to 180 days in prison, but served no time.[34][35][36]Trey Radel (R-FL) was arrested on October 29, 2013, in Washington, D.C. for possession of cocaine after purchasing the drug from an undercover law enforcement officer. As a first-time offender, he pled guilty to a misdemeanor in a Washington, D.C. court, and was sentenced to one year probation and fined $250. Radel took a leave of absence from office to undergo substance abuse treatment following his conviction. Following treatment, he initially returned to office with the intent of finishing his term, but eventually resigned on January 27, 2014.[37][38][39]Jesse L. Jackson Jr. (D-IL) pled guilty to one felony count of fraud for using $750,000 of campaign money to buy personal items such as stuffed animals, elk heads and fur capes.[40]Laura Richardson (D-CA) was found guilty on seven counts of violating US House rules by improperly using her staff to campaign for her, destroying the evidence and tampering with witness testimony. The House Ethics Committee ordered Richardson to pay a fine of $10,000. (2012)[41][42]John Ensign (R-NV) resigned his Senate seat on May 3, 2011, just before the Senate Ethics Committee could examine possible fiscal violations in connection with his extramarital affair with Cynthia Hampton. (2011)[43][44][45][46](see Federal sex scandals) In May 2012, aide Doug Hampton (R) in what became the John Ensign scandal reached a plea deal with prosecutors, the details of which have not yet been released.[47]Michael Grimm (R-NY) has been indicted for campaign finance violations. He has not been proven guilty.[48]Judicial Branch[edit]G. Thomas Porteous Federal Judge for Eastern Louisiana was unanimously impeached by the US House of Representatives on charges of bribery and perjury in March 2010. He was convicted by the US Senate and removed from office. He had been appointed by Democrat Bill Clinton. (2010)[49][50]Samuel B. Kent Federal District Judge of Galveston, Texas, was sentenced to 33 months in prison for lying about sexually harassing two female employees. He had been appointed to office by Republican George H. W. Bush in 1990. (2009)[51][52]Jack T. Camp Senior Federal U.S. District Court Judge was appointed by Republican Ronald Reagan and again byGeorge W. Bush, was arrested in an undercover drug bust while trying to purchase cocaine from an FBI agent. Judge Camp resigned after pleading guilty to three criminal charges. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail, 400 community service hours and fined.[53][54][55]2001–2009 George W. Bush Administration[edit]Executive Branch[edit]Joseph E. Schmitz (R) was nominated by President George W. Bush (R) to be Defense Department Inspector Generalon June 18, 2001. He resigned on September 9, 2005 in the wake of several allegations by Senator Charles Grassley(R-Iowa) including that he had obstructed the FBI investigation of John A. Shaw.[56][57][58][59][60]Walter Reed Army Medical Center neglect scandal Secretary of the Army Francis J. Harvey (R) abruptly resigned over substandard conditions for wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center including long delays in treatment, rodent infestation and outbreaks of mold. Harvey had been appointed to the position by George W. Bush.(2007)[61]Maj. Gen. George Weightman, was fired for failures linked to the scandal.(2007) [62]Maj. Gen. Kevin C. Kiley resigned for failures linked to the scandal.[63]Felipe Sixto was appointed by President George W. Bush to be his Special Assistant for Intergovernmental Affairs as well as Duty Director at the Office of Public Liaison. He resigned a few weeks later on March 20, 2008 because of his misuse of grant money from the U.S. Agency for International Development when he had worked for the Center for a Free Cuba.[64] He was sentenced to 30 months in prison for stealing almost $600,000 for personal use.[65]Timothy Goeglein, Special Assistant to President Bush resigned when it was discovered that more than 20 of his columns had been plagiarized from an Indiana newspaper. (2008)[66]Scott Bloch was appointed by President George W. Bush to head the United States Office of Special Counsel. On April 27, 2010 Bloch pleaded guilty to criminal contempt of Congress for "willfully and unlawfully withholding pertinent information from a House committee investigating his decision to have several government computers wiped ...."[67]On February 2, Magistrate Judge Deborah A. Robinson ruled that Bloch faces a mandatory sentence of at least one month in prison.[68][69]Lewis Libby, Chief of Staff to Vice President Dick Cheney (R). 'Scooter' was convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice in the Plame Affair on March 6, 2007. He was sentenced to 30 months in prison and fined $250,000. The sentence was commuted by George W. Bush on July 1, 2007. The felony remains on Libby's record, though the jail time and fine were commuted.[70][71]Alphonso Jackson The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development resigned while under investigation by the Justice Department for alleged cronyism and favoritism [72]Karl Rove Senior Adviser to President George W. Bush was investigated by the Office of Special Counsel for "improper political influence over government decision-making", as well as for his involvement in several other scandals such as Lawyergate, Bush White House e-mail controversy and Plame affair. He resigned in April 2007. (See Karl Rove in the George W. Bush administration)[73]Richard J. Griffin Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security appointed by George W. Bush who made key decisions regarding the department's oversight of private security contractor Blackwater USA, resigned in November 2007, after a critical review by the House Oversight Committee found that his office had failed to adequately supervise private contractors during the Blackwater Baghdad shootings protecting U.S. diplomats in Iraq.[74]Howard Krongard, Republican contributor[75] was appointed Inspector General of the US State Department by President George W. Bush in 2005.[76] After he was accused by the House Oversight Committee of improperly interfering with investigations into private security contractor Blackwater USA, concerning the Blackwater Baghdad shootings. Krongard resigned in December 2007.[77][78]"Lawyergate"[79] Or the Dismissal of U.S. attorneys controversy refers to President Bush firing, without explanation, eleven Republican federal prosecutors whom he himself had appointed. It is alleged they were fired for prosecuting Republicans and not prosecuting Democrats.[80][81] When Congressional hearings were called, a number of seniorJustice Department officials cited executive privilege and refused to testify under oath and instead resigned, including:Alberto Gonzales Attorney General of the United States[82]Karl Rove Advisor to President Bush[83]Harriet Miers Legal Counsel to President Bush, was found in Contempt of Congress[84]Michael A. Battle Director of Executive Office of US Attorneys in the Justice Department.[85]Bradley Schlozman Director of Executive Office of US Attorneys who replaced Battle[86]Michael Elston Chief of Staff to Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty[87]Paul McNulty Deputy Attorney General to William Mercer[88]William W. Mercer Associate Attorney General to Alberto Gonzales[89]Kyle Sampson Chief of Staff to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales[85]Monica Goodling Liaison between President Bush and the Justice Department[90]Joshua Bolten Deputy Chief of Staff to President Bush was found in Contempt of Congress[84]Sara M. Taylor Aide to Presidential Advisor Karl Rove[91]Bush White House e-mail controversy – During the Lawyergate investigation it was discovered that the Bush administration used Republican National Committee (RNC) web servers for millions of emails which were then destroyed, lost or deleted in possible violation of the Presidential Records Act and the Hatch Act. George W. Bush,Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, Andrew Card, Sara Taylor and Scott Jennings all used RNC webservers for the majority of their emails. Of 88 officials investigated, 51 showed no emails at all.[92] As many as 5 million e-mails requested by Congressional investigators were therefore unavailable, lost, or deleted.[93]Lurita Alexis Doan Resigned as head of the General Services Administration. She was under scrutiny for conflict of interest and violations of the Hatch Act.[94] Among other things she asked GSA employees how they could "help Republican candidates".[95]John Korsmo chairman of the Federal Housing Finance Board pled guilty to lying to congress and sentenced to 18 months of unsupervised probation and fined $5,000. (2005)[96]Darleen A. Druyun was Principal Deputy Undersecretary of the Air Force nominated by George W. Bush.[97] She pled guilty to inflating the price of contracts to favor her future employer, Boeing. In October 2004, she was sentenced to nine months in jail for corruption, fined $5,000, given three years of supervised release and 150 hours of community service. She began her prison term on January 5, 2005.[98] CBS News called it "the biggest Pentagon scandal in 20 years" and said that she pleaded guilty to a felony.[99]Philip Cooney Bush appointee to chair the Council on Environmental Quality was accused of editing government climate reports to emphasize doubts about global warming.[100] Two days later, Cooney announced his resignation[101] and later conceded his role in altering reports. Stating "My sole loyalty was to the President and advancing the policies of his administration," .[102][103]Jack Abramoff Scandal in which the prominent lobbyist with close ties to Republican administration officials and legislators offered bribes as part of his lobbying efforts. Abramoff was sentenced to 4 years in prison.[104][105] See Legislative scandals.Tom DeLay (R-TX) The House Majority Leader was reprimanded twice by the House Ethics Committee and his aides indicted (2004–2005); eventually DeLay himself was investigated in October 2005 in connection with the Abramoff scandal, but not indicted. DeLay resigned from the House 9 June 2006.[106] DeLay was found to have illegally channeled funds from Americans for a Republican Majority to Republican state legislator campaigns. He was convicted of two counts of money laundering and conspiracy in 2010.[107]David Safavian GSA (General Services Administration) Chief of Staff,[108] found guilty of blocking justice and lying,[109] and sentenced to 18 months[110]Roger Stillwell Staff in the Department of the Interior under President George W. Bush (R). Pleaded guilty and received two years suspended sentence.[111]Susan B. Ralston Special Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor to Karl Rove, resigned October 6, 2006, after it became known that she accepted gifts and passed information to her former boss Jack Abramoff.[112]J. Steven Griles former Deputy to the Secretary of the Interior pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and was sentenced to 10 months.[113]Italia Federici staff to the Secretary of the Interior, and President of the Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy, pled guilty to tax evasion and obstruction of justice. She was sentenced to four years probation.[114][115][116]Jared Carpenter Vice-President of the Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy, was discovered during the Abramoff investigation and pled guilty to income tax evasion. He got 45 days, plus 4 years probation.[117]Mark Zachares staff in the Department of Labor, bribed by Abramoff, guilty of conspiracy to defraud.[105]Robert E. Coughlin Deputy Chief of Staff, Criminal Division of the Justice Department pleaded guilty to conflict of interest after accepting bribes from Jack Abramoff. (2008)[118]Kyle Foggo Executive director of the CIA was convicted of honest services fraud in the awarding of a government contract and sentenced to 37 months in federal prison at Pine Knot, Kentucky. On September 29, 2008, Foggo pleaded guilty to one count of the indictment, admitting that while he was the CIA executive director, he acted to steer a CIA contract to the firm of his lifelong friend, Brent R. Wilkes.[119]Julie MacDonald Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Department of the Interior, resigned May 1, 2007, after giving government documents to developers (2007)[120]Claude Allen Appointed as an advisor by President George W. Bush (R) on Domestic Policy, Allen was arrested for a series of felony thefts in retail stores. He was convicted on one count and resigned soon after.[121]Lester Crawford Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, resigned after 2 months. Pled guilty to conflict of interest and received 3 years suspended sentence and fined $90,000 (2006)[122]2003 Invasion of Iraq depended on intelligence that Saddam Hussein was developing "weapons of mass destruction" (WMDs) meaning nuclear, chemical and/or biological weapons for offensive use. As revealed by The (British) Downing Street memo "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" The press called this the 'smoking gun."(2005)[123]Yellowcake forgery: Just before the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the Bush administration presented evidence to the UN that Iraq was seeking material (yellowcake uranium) in Africa for making nuclear weapons. Though presented as true, it was later found to be not only dubious, but outright false.[124][125]Coalition Provisional Authority Cash Payment Scandal: On June 20, 2005, the staff of the Committee on Government Reform prepared a report for Congressman Henry Waxman.[126] It was revealed that $12 billion in cash had been delivered to Iraq by C-130 planes, on shrinkwrapped pallets of US $100 bills.[127] The United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, concluded that "Many of the funds appear to have been lost to corruption and waste.... Some of the funds could have enriched both criminals and insurgents...." Henry Waxman, commented, "Who in their right mind would send 363 tons of cash into a war zone?" A single flight to Iraq on December 12, 2003, which contained $1.5 billion in cash is said to be the largest single Federal Reserve payout in US history according to Henry Waxman.[128][129]Bush administration payment of columnists with federal funds to say nice things about Republican policies. Illegal payments were made to journalists Armstrong Williams, Maggie Gallagher and Michael McManus (2004–2005)[130]John A. Shaw (R) was appointed by George W. Bush as Under Secretary of Defense [131] He was investigated on corruption although charges were never filed against him, he was asked to resign in 2004.[132] When he refused to resign, he was fired by the Bush administration on December 10, 2004.[133][134][135]Bernard Kerik nomination in 2004 as Secretary of Homeland Security was derailed by past employment of an illegal alien as a nanny, and other improprieties. On Nov 4, 2009, he pled guilty to two counts of tax fraud and five counts of lying to the federal government and was sentenced to four years in prison.[136]Plame affair (2004), in which CIA agent Valerie Plame's name was leaked by Richard Armitage, Deputy Secretary of State, to the press in retaliation for her husband's criticism of the reports used by George W. Bush to legitimize the Iraq war.[137] Armitage admitted he was the leak[138] but no wrongdoing was found.Thomas A. Scully, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), withheld information from Congress about the projected cost of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act, and allegedly threatened to fire Medicare's chief actuary, Richard Foster, if Foster provided the data to Congress. (2003)[139] Scully resigned on December 16, 2003.NSA warrantless surveillance – Shortly after the September 11 attacks in 2001, President George W. Bush (R) implemented a secret program by the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on domestic telephone calls by American citizens without warrants, thus by-passing the FISA court which must approve all such actions. (2002)[140] In 2010, Federal Judge Vaughn Walker ruled this practice to be illegal.[141]Janet Rehnquist (daughter of former Chief Justice William Rehnquist) appointed Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services by George W. Bush. In 2002, Governor Jeb Bush's (R-FL) Chief of Staff Kathleen Shanahan asked Rehnquist to delay auditing a $571 million federal overpayment to the State of Florida. Rehnquist ordered her staff to delay the investigation for five months until after the Florida elections. When Congress began an investigation into the matter, Rehnquist resigned in March 2003, saying she wanted to spend more time with her family.[142][143][144][144][145][146]John Yoo An attorney in the Office of Legal Counsel inside the Justice Department who, working closely with vice president Dick Cheney and The Bush Six,[147] wrote memos stating the right of the president to –suspend sections of the ABM Treaty without informing Congress[148]bypass the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act allowing warrantless wiretapping of US Citizens within the United States by the National Security Agency.[148]state that the First Amendment and Fourth Amendments and the Takings Clause do not apply to the president in time of war as defined in the USA PATRIOT Act[148]allow Enhanced Interrogation Techniques (torture) because provisions of the War Crimes Act, the Third Geneva Convention, and the Torture convention do not apply.[148]Many of his memos have since been repudiated and reversed.[148][149] Later review by the Justice Department reported that Yoo and Jay Bybee used "poor judgement" in the memos, but no charges were filed.[150]Carl Truscott Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms appointed in 2004 but was soon under investigation for his management style and allegations of lavish spending and misuse of resources, including requiring a large number of agents as personal security, allocating hundreds of thousands of dollars of expensive upgrades to the ATF HQ building, adding a new garage to his house, detailing 20 agents to help with his nephew's high school project and other examples of poor financial judgment. Truscott resigned as the ATF Director on August 4, 2006.[151][152]Legislative Branch[edit]James W. Treffinger (R-NJ) the US senatorial candidate pled guilty in 2003 to corruption and fraud as Chief Executive of Essex County and ordered to pay $30,000 in restitution and serve 13 months in jail.[153]Ted Stevens Senator (R-AK) was convicted of seven counts of bribery and tax evasion October 27, 2008. He then lost re-election. Newly appointed US Attorney General Eric Holder dismissed the charges "in the interest of justice" stating that the Justice Department had illegally withheld evidence from defense counsel.[154]Charles Rangel (D-NY) failed to report $75,000 income from the rental of his villa in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic and was forced to pay $11,000 in back taxes.(September 2008)[155]Rick Renzi (R-AZ) Announced he would not seek another term.[156]* He was later sentenced to three years in prison after conviction on federal corruption charges of extortion, bribery, insurance fraud, money laundering and racketeering related to a 2005 money-laundering scheme that netted the Flagstaff Republican more than $700,000. (2005) [157]Mark Foley (R-FL) resigned on September 29, 2006 after sending sexually explicit messages to former Congressional pages.[158]Frank Ballance (D-NC) admitted to a federal charge of money laundering and mail fraud in October 2005 and sentenced to 4 years in prison.[159]Tom DeLay (R-TX) and House Majority Leader served from 1985 to 2006 when he resigned his position to undergo trial for conspiring to launder corporate money into political donations and money laundering during the 2002 elections. On November 24, 2010, DeLay was found guilty[160] and was sentenced to three years in prison and 10 years' probation respectively.[161] On September 19, 2013, the conviction was overturned.[162]Jack Abramoff Scandal, (R) lobbyist found guilty of conspiracy, tax evasion and corruption of public officials in three different courts in a wide ranging investigation. Currently serving 70 months and fined $24.7 million.[163] See Scandals, Executive Branch. The following were also implicated:Tom DeLay (R-TX) The House Majority Leader was reprimanded twice by the House Ethics Committee and his aides indicted (2004–2005); eventually DeLay himself was investigated in October 2005 in connection with the Abramoff scandal, but not indicted. DeLay resigned from the House 9 June 2006.[106] DeLay was found to have illegally channeled funds from Americans for a Republican Majority to Republican state legislator campaigns. He was convicted of two counts of money laundering and conspiracy in 2010.[107]Michael Scanlon (R) former staff to Tom DeLay: working for Abramoff, pled guilty to bribery.[104][105]Tony Rudy (R) former staff to Tom DeLay, pleaded guilty to conspiracy.[105]James W. Ellis executive director of Tom DeLay's political action committee, Americans for a Republican Majority (ARMPAC), was indicted by Texas for money laundering.[164]John Colyandro executive director of Tom DeLay's political action committee, Texans for a Republican Majority(TRMPAC), was indicted by Texas for money laundering[164]Bob Ney (R-OH) pleaded guilty to conspiracy and making false statements as a result of his receiving trips from Abramoff in exchange for legislative favors. Ney received 30 months in prison.[105][165]Neil Volz former staff to Robert Ney, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy in 2006 charges stemming from his work for Bob Ney. In 2007 he was sentenced to two years probation, 100 hours community service, and a fine of $2,000.[166]William Heaton, former chief of staff for Bob Ney (R), pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy charge involving a golf trip to Scotland, expensive meals, and tickets to sporting events between 2002 and 2004 as payoffs for helping Abramoff's clients.[167]John Albaugh, former chief of staff to Ernest Istook (R-OK), pled guilty to accepting bribes connected to the Federal Highway Bill. Istook was not charged. (2008)[168]James Hirni, former staff to Tim Hutchinson (R-AR), was charged with wire fraud for giving a staffer for Don Young (R) of Alaska a bribe in exchange for amendments to the Federal Highway Bill. (2008)[169]Kevin A. Ring (R) former staff to John Doolittle (R-CA) was convicted of five charges of corruption.[170][171]John Doolittle (R-CA) both he and his wife were under investigation (January 2008). Under this cloud, Doolittle decided not to run for re-election in November 2008. The Justice Department announced in June 2010 they had terminated the investigation and found no wrongdoing.[172]Randy Cunningham (R-CA) pleaded guilty on November 28, 2005, to charges of conspiracy to commit bribery, mail fraud, wire fraud and tax evasion in what came to be called the Cunningham scandal. Sentenced to over eight years.[173]Tan Nguyen (R-CA) congressional candidate for the 47th District was convicted of voter intimidation. He lost the election and was sentenced to one year in prison and six months in a halfway house. (2006)[174]Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) struck a U.S. Capitol Police officer in the chest after he attempted to stop her from going around a security checkpoint. McKinney apologized on the floor of the House and no charges were filed (March 29, 2006)[175]William J. Jefferson (D-LA) in August 2005 the FBI seized $90,000 in cash from Jefferson's home freezer. He was re-elected anyway, but lost in 2008. Jefferson was convicted of 11 counts of bribery and sentenced to 13 years on November 13, 2009, and his chief of staff Brett Pfeffer was sentenced to 84 months in a related case.[176][177]Bill Janklow (R-SD) convicted of second-degree manslaughter for running a stop sign and killing a motorcyclist. Resigned from the House and given 100 days in the county jail and three years (2003)[178]Robert Torricelli Senator (D-NJ) after 14 years in the House and one term in the Senate, Torricelli declined to run again when accused of taking illegal contributions from Korean businessman David Chang. (2002)[179]Jim Traficant (D-OH) found guilty on 10 felony counts of financial corruption, he was sentenced to 8 years in prison and expelled from the House (2002)[180]1993–2001 Bill Clinton Administration[edit]Executive Branch[edit]Ronald Blackley, Chief of Staff to Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy, was sentenced to 27 months for perjury. Secretary Espy was found innocent on all counts.[181]Bill Clinton President (D) Impeached by the House of Representatives for perjury and obstruction of justice for allegedly lying under oath about consensual sexual relations with a member of his staff Monica Lewinsky. Clinton wasacquitted by the Senate and remained in office for the rest of his term. Clinton subsequently was cited for contempt of court and agreed to a five-year suspension of his Arkansas law license (1998).[182] On October 1, 2001, Bill Clinton was barred from practicing law before the Supreme Court of the United States (2001)[183]Legislative Branch[edit]Newt Gingrich (R-GA), the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, was charged $300,000 in sanctions by the majority republican House ethics committee for an unethical book deal [184] leading to his eventual resignation from office. (1997)[185]Barbara-Rose Collins (D-MI) found to have committed 11 violations of law and house rules stemming from use of campaign funds for personal use.[186]Wes Cooley (R-OR), Cooley was convicted of having lied on the 1994 voter information pamphlet about his service in the Army. He was fined and sentenced to two years probation (1997)[187]Austin Murphy (D-PA) convicted of engaging in voter fraud for filling out absentee ballots for members of a nursing home.[188]Nicholas Mavroules (D-MA) pleaded guilty to bribery charges.[189]Lawrence J. Smith (D-FL) On August 3, 1993, Congressman Smith pled guilty to one count of tax evasion and one count of filing false campaign reports. He was sentenced to three months in prison.[190]House banking scandal[191] The House of Representatives Bank found that 450 members had overdrawn their checking accounts, but had not been penalized. Six were convicted of charges, most only tangentially related to the House Bank itself. Twenty two more of the most prolific over-drafters were singled out by the House Ethics Committee. (1992)[192]Buzz Lukens (R-OH) convicted of bribery and conspiracy.[193]Carl C. Perkins (D-KY) pled guilty to a check kiting scheme involving several financial institutions (including the House Bank).[193]Carroll Hubbard (D-KY)convicted of illegally funneling money to his wife's 1992 campaign to succeed him in congress.[194]Mary Rose Oakar (D-OH) was charged with seven felonies, but pleaded guilty only to a misdemeanor campaign finance charge not related to the House Bank.[193]Walter Fauntroy (D-DC) convicted of filing false disclosure forms in order to hide unauthorized income.[193]Jack Russ House Sergeant-at-Arms, convicted of three counts.[193]Congressional Post Office scandal (1991–1995) A conspiracy to embezzle House Post Office money through stamps and postal vouchers to congressmen.[195]Dan Rostenkowski (D-IL) Rostenkowski was convicted and sentenced to 18 months in prison, in 1995.[196]Joe Kolter (D-PA) Convicted of one count of conspiracy[197] and sentenced to 6 months in prison.[198]Robert V. Rota Postmaster, convicted of one count of conspiracy and two counts of embezzlement.[195]Jay Kim (R-CA) accepted $250,000 in illegal 1992 campaign contributions and was sentenced to two months house arrest (1992)[199]1989–1993 George H. W. Bush Administration[edit]Executive Branch[edit]George H. W. Bush (R) President. during his election campaign, Bush denied any knowledge of the Iran Contra Affairby saying he was "out of the loop." But his own diaries of that time stated "I'm one of the few people that know fully the details ..." He repeatedly refused to disclose this to investigators during the investigation and thus won the election. (1988)[200]Catalina Vasquez Villalpando, (R) Treasurer of the United States. Pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and tax evasion. The only US Treasurer ever sent to prison. (1992)[201]Iran-Contra Affair pardons. On December 24, 1992, George H. W. Bush (R) granted clemency to five convicted government officials and Caspar Weinberger, whose trial had not yet begun. This action prevented any further investigation into the matter.[202]Caspar Weinberger Secretary of Defense under Ronald Reagan[203]Robert C. McFarlane National Security Advisor to Ronald Reagan[203]Elliott Abrams Assistant Secretary of State to Ronald Reagan[203]Clair George CIA Chief of Covert Ops[203]Alan D. Fiers Chief of the CIA's Central American Task Force[203]Duane Clarridge CIA Operations Officer[203]Legislative Branch[edit]Albert Bustamante (D-TX) convicted of accepting bribes.[204]Lawrence J. Smith (D-FL) pleaded guilty to tax fraud and lying to federal election officials[205] and served three months in jail, fined $5,000, 2 years probation and back taxes of $40,000[206]David Durenberger Senator (R-MN) denounced by Senate for unethical financial transactions and then disbarred (1990). He pled guilty to misuse of public funds and given one year probation (1995)[207]Judicial Branch[edit]Clarence Thomas (R) The Supreme Court nominee was accused of sexual harassment by former employee Anita Hill, but was approved anyway.[208]Walter Nixon US Judge. Was impeached by the House and convicted by the Senate for perjury on November 3, 1989.[209]1981–1989 Ronald Reagan Administration[edit]Executive Branch[edit]Housing and Urban Development Scandal A scandal concerning bribery by selected contractors for low income housing projects.Samuel Pierce Secretary of Housing and Urban Development because he made "full and public written acceptance of responsibility" was not charged.[210]James G. Watt Secretary of Interior, 1981–1983, charged with 25 counts of perjury and obstruction of justice, sentenced to five years probation, fined $5,000 and 500 hours of community service[211]Deborah Gore Dean (R) Executive Assistant to (Samuel Pierce, Secretary of HUD 1981–1987, and not charged). Dean was convicted of 12 counts of perjury, conspiracy, bribery. Sentenced to 21 months in prison. (1987)[212]Phillip D. Winn Assistant Secretary of HUD, 1981–1982, pled guilty to bribery in 1994.[212]Thomas Demery, Assistant Secretary of HUD, pled guilty to bribery and obstruction.[212]Joseph A. Strauss, Special Assistant to the Secretary of HUD, convicted of accepting payments to favor Puerto Rican land developers in receiving HUD funding.[213]Silvio D. DeBartolomeis convicted of perjury and bribery.[214]Wedtech scandal Wedtech Corporation convicted of bribery for Defense Department contractsEdwin Meese Attorney General, resigned but never convicted.[215]Lyn Nofziger White House Press Secretary, whose conviction of lobbying was overturned.[216]Mario Biaggi (D-NY) sentenced to 2½ years.[217]Robert García (D-NY) sentenced to 2½ years.[218]Savings and loan scandal in which 747 institutions failed and had to be rescued with $160,000,000,000 of taxpayer monies in connection with the Keating Five. see Legislative scandals.[219]Emanuel S. Savas, appointed by Ronald Reagan to be Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, resigned July 8, 1983 after an internal Justice Department investigation found he had abused his office by having his Government staff work on his private book on Government time.[220][221]Iran-Contra Affair (1985–1986); A plan conceived by CIA head William Casey and Oliver North of the National Security Council to sell TOW missiles to Iran for the return of US hostages and then use part of the money received to fund Contra rebels trying to overthrow the left wing government of Nicaragua, which was in direct violation of Congress'Boland Amendment.[222] Ronald Reagan appeared on TV stating there was no "arms for hostages" deal, but was later forced to admit, also on TV, that yes, there indeed had been:Caspar Weinberger Secretary of Defense, was indicted on two counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice on June 16, 1992.[223] Weinberger received a pardon from George H. W. Bush on December 24, 1992, before he was tried.[224]William Casey Head of the CIA. Thought to have conceived the plan, was stricken ill hours before he would testify. Reporter Bob Woodward records that Casey knew of and approved the plan.[225]Robert C. McFarlane National Security Adviser, convicted of withholding evidence, but after a plea bargain was given only 2 years probation. Later pardoned by President George H. W. Bush[226]Elliott Abrams Asst Sec of State, convicted of withholding evidence, but after a plea bargain was given only 2 years probation. Later pardoned by President George H. W. Bush[227]Summary of Prosecutions.Alan D. Fiers Chief of the CIA's Central American Task Force, convicted of withholding evidence and sentenced to one year probation. Later pardoned by President George H. W. Bush[222]Clair George Chief of Covert Ops-CIA, convicted on 2 charges of perjury, but pardoned by President George H. W. Bush before sentencing.[228]Oliver North convicted of accepting an illegal gratuity, obstruction of a congressional inquiry, and destruction of documents, but the ruling was overturned since he had been granted immunity.[229]Fawn Hall, Oliver North's secretary was given immunity from prosecution on charges of conspiracy and destroying documents in exchange for her testimony.[230]John Poindexter National Security Advisor (R) convicted of 5 counts of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, perjury, defrauding the government, and the alteration and destruction of evidence. The Supreme Court overturned this ruling.[231]Duane Clarridge An ex-CIA senior official, he was indicted in November 1991 on 7 counts of perjury and false statements relating to a November 1985 shipment to Iran. Pardoned before trial by President George H. W. Bush.[232][233]Richard V. Secord Ex-major general in the Air Force who organized the Iran arms sales and Contra aid. He pleaded guilty in November 1989 to making false statements to Congress. Sentenced to two years of probation.[234][235]Albert Hakim A businessman, pled guilty in November 1989 to supplementing the salary of Oliver North by buying him a $13,800 fence. Hakim was given two years of probation and a $5,000 fine, while his company, Lake Resources Inc. was ordered to dissolve.[234][236]Thomas G. Clines Once an intelligence official who became an arms dealer, he was convicted in September 1990 on four income tax counts, including underreporting of income to the IRS and lying about not having foreign accounts. Sentenced to 16 months of prison and fined $40,000.[234][237]Carl R. Channell A fund-raiser for conservative causes, he pleaded guilty in April 1987 to defrauding the IRS via a tax-exempt organization to fund the Contras.[238] Sentenced to two years probation.[234]Richard R. Miller Associate to Carl R. Channell, he pleaded guilty in May 1987 to defrauding the IRS via a tax-exempt organization led by Channell. More precisely, he pled guilty to lying to the IRS about the deductibility of donations to the organization. Some of the donations were used to fund the Contras.[239] Sentenced to two years of probation and 120 of community service.[234]Joseph F. Fernandez CIA Station Chief of Costa Rica. Indicted on five counts in 1988.[240] The case was dismissed when Attorney General Dick Thornburgh refused to declassify information needed for his defense in 1990.[241]Inslaw Affair (1985–1994+); a protracted legal case that alleged that top-level officials of President Ronald Reagan's (R) Department of Justice were involved in software piracy of the Promis program from Inslaw Inc. forcing it into bankruptcy.[242] Attorney General Edwin Meese (R) and his successor Attorney General Dick Thornburgh (R) were both found to have blocked the investigation of the matter.[243] They were succeeded by Attorney General William P. Barr (R), who also refused to investigate and no charges were ever filed.[242]D. Lowell Jensen, Deputy Attorney General was held in Contempt of Congress.[244]C. Madison Brewer A high ranking Justice Department official was held in Contempt of Congress.[244]Michael Deaver Deputy Chief of Staff to Ronald Reagan 1981–85, pleaded guilty to perjury related to lobbying activities and was sentenced to 3 years probation and fined $100,000[245]Sewergate A scandal in which funds from the EPA were selectively used for projects which would aid politicians friendly to the Reagan administration.Anne Gorsuch Burford Head of the EPA. Cut the EPA staff by 22% and refused to turn over documents to Congress citing "Executive Privilege",[246] whereupon she was found in Contempt and resigned with twenty of her top employees.(1980)[247]Rita Lavelle An EPA Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency misused "superfund" monies and was convicted of perjury. She served six months in prison, was fined $10,000 and given five years probation.[248]Melvyn R. Paisley, appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy by Ronald Reagan. As part of the long-runningOperation Ill Wind defense procurement investigation, Paisley was to four years in prison without parole.[249]Louis O. Giuffrida (R) director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency was appointed in April 1981 by Ronald Reagan and resigned his position on September 1, 1985. His announcement came a day before a Congressional subcommittee wad to approve a report detailing waste, fraud, and abuse at his agency.[250]J. Lynn Helms was appointed head of the Federal Aviation Administration by Ronald Reagan in April 1981. He was charged by the Securities and Exchange Commission with diverting $1.2 million from an issue of tax-exempt municipal bonds to his own personal use. Mr. Helms signed an order that settled the case before trial, though he resigned his FAA post.[251][252]Legislative Branch[edit]David Durenberger Senator (R-MN), denounced by the Senate for unethical financial transactions (1990) and then disbarred as an attorney.[253] In 1995 he pled guilty to 5 misdemeanor counts of misuse of public funds and was given one years probation.[254]Jesse Helms Senator (R-NC), His campaign was found guilty of "voter caging" when 125,000 postcards were sent to mainly black neighborhoods and the results used to challenge their residency and therefore their right to vote. (1990)[255]Barney Frank Congressman (D-MA), lived with convicted felon Steve Gobie who ran a gay prostitution operation from Frank's apartment without his knowledge. Frank was Admonished by Congress for using his congressional privilege to eliminate 33 parking tickets attributed to Gobie.(1987)[256]Donald E. "Buz" Lukens (R-OH), Convicted of two counts of bribery and conspiracy. (1996)[257] See also Sex scandals.Anthony Lee Coelho (D-CA) Resigned rather than face inquiries from both the Justice Department and the House Ethics Committee about an allegedly unethical "junk bond" deal, which netted him $6,000. He was never charged with any crime (1989)[258]Jim Wright (D-TX) House Speaker, resigned after an ethics investigation led by Newt Gingrich alleged improper receipt of $145,000 in gifts (1989)[259]Keating Five (1980–1989) The failure of Lincoln Savings and Loan led to Charles Keating donating to the campaigns of five Senators for help. Keating served 42 months in prison.[260] The five were investigated by the Senate Ethics Committee which found that:Alan Cranston Senator (D-CA) reprimanded[261]Dennis DeConcini Senator (D-AZ) acted improperly[262]Don Riegle Senator (D-MI) acted improperly[262]John Glenn Senator (D-OH) used poor judgment[262]John McCain Senator (R-AZ) used poor judgment[262]Abscam FBI sting involving fake 'Arabs' trying to bribe 31 congressmen.(1980)[263] The following six Congressmen were convicted:Harrison A. Williams Senator (D-NJ) Convicted on 9 counts of bribery and conspiracy. Sentenced to 3 years in prison.[264]John Jenrette Representative (D-SC) sentenced to two years in prison for bribery and conspiracy.[265]Richard Kelly (R-FL) Accepted $25K and then claimed he was conducting his own investigation into corruption. Served 13 months.[266]Raymond Lederer (D-PA) "I can give you me" he said after accepting $50K. Sentenced to 3 years.[267]Michael Myers (D-PA) Accepted $50K saying, "...money talks and bullshit walks." Sentenced to 3 years and was expelled from the House.[268]Frank Thompson (D-NJ) Sentenced to 3 years.[269]John M. Murphy (D-NY) Served 20 months of a 3-year sentence.[270]Also arrested were NJ State Senator Angelo Errichetti (D)[271] and members of the Philadelphia City Council. See Local scandals.Mario Biaggi (D-NY), Convicted of obstruction of justice and accepting illegal gratuities he was sentenced to 2½ years in prison and fined $500K for his role in the Wedtech scandal, see above. Just before expulsion from the House, he resigned. The next year he was convicted of another 15 counts of obstruction and bribery. (1988)[272]Pat Swindall (R-GA) convicted of 6 counts of perjury. (1989)[273][274]George V. Hansen (R-ID) censured for failing to file out disclosure forms. Spent 15 months in prison.[275]James Traficant (D-OH), convicted of ten felony counts including bribery, racketeering and tax evasion and sentenced to 8 years in prison. He was expelled from the House July 24, 2002.[276]Frederick W. Richmond (D-NY),Convicted of tax evasion and possession of marijuana. Served 9 months(1982)[277]See Federal sex scandals.Dan Flood (D-PA) censured for bribery. After a trial ended in a deadlocked jury, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a year's probation.[278][279]Joshua Eilberg (D-PA) pleaded guilty to conflict-of-interest charges. In addition, he convinced president Carter to fire the U.S. Attorney investigating his case.[280]Judicial Branch[edit]Alcee Hastings (D-FL), Federal District court judge impeached by the House and convicted by the Senate of soliciting a bribe (1989).[281] Subsequently elected to the U.S. House of Representatives (1992)[282]Harry Claiborne (D-NE), Federal District court Judge impeached by the House and convicted by the Senate on two counts of tax evasion. He served over one year in prison.[283]1977–1981 James E. Carter Administration[edit]Executive Branch[edit]Debategate: an election briefing book for President Jimmy Carter was stolen and given to Ronald Reagan before U.S. presidential election, 1980[284]Bert Lance Director of OMB, resigned amid allegations of misuse of funds during the sale of a Georgia bank to BCCI.(1977)[285] In 1981, Lance was acquitted by a jury of nine counts of bank fraud.[286]Legislative branch[edit]Daniel J. Flood (D-PA) During the 96th United States Congress, Flood was censured for bribery. The allegations led to his resignation on January 31, 1980.(1980)[287]Fred Richmond (D-NY) – Convicted of tax fraud and possession of marijuana. Served 9 months in prison. Charges of soliciting sex from a 16-year-old boy were dropped after he submitted to counseling. (1978)[288]Charles Diggs (D-MI), convicted on 29 charges of mail fraud and filing false payroll forms which formed a kickback scheme with his staff. Sentenced to 3 years (1978)[289]Herman Talmadge Senator (D-GA), On October 11, 1979, Talmadge was denounced by the Senate for "improper financial conduct". He failed to be re-elected. (1979)[290]Michael Myers (D-PA) Received suspended six-month jail term after pleading no contest to disorderly conduct charged stemming from an incident at a Virginia bar in which he allegedly attacked a hotel security guard and a cashier.[291]Charles H. Wilson (D-CA) censured after he converted $25,000 in campaign funds to his own use and accepted $10,500 from a man with a direct interest in legislation before Congress. This was a later non-Park incident.[292]John Connally (R-TX), Milk Money scandal. Accused of accepting a $10K bribe. He was acquitted. (1975)[293]Richard Tonry (D-LA) pleaded guilty to receiving illegal campaign contributions.[294]Koreagate scandal involving alleged bribery of more than 30 members of Congress by the South Korean government represented by Tongsun Park. Several other Koreans and Congressmen were allegedly involved, but not charged or reprimanded.[295] The most notable are:Richard T. Hanna (D-CA) pleaded guilty[296] and sentenced to 6–30 months in federal prison.[297] Wound up serving a year in prison.[298]Otto E. Passman (D-LA) was accused of bribery and other charges,[299] but found innocent.[300]John J. McFall, Edward Roybal, and Charles H. Wilson, all (D-CA). Roybal was censured and Wilson was reprimanded,[301] while McFall was reprimanded,[302]1974–1977 Gerald Ford Administration[edit]Executive Branch[edit]Nixon pardon: President Gerald Ford (R) pardoned President Richard Nixon (R), (who had chosen Ford to be his vice-president), just before Nixon could be tried for conspiracy and impeached by Congress for his role in the Watergatescandal. (1974)[303]Earl Butz, Secretary of Agriculture When asked privately why the party of Lincoln was not able to attract more blacks. Butz replied: "I'll tell you what the coloreds want. It's three things: first, a tight pussy; second, loose shoes; and third, a warm place to shit." Butz resigned soon after. (1976) [52][304]Earl Butz (R) was appointed Secretary of Agriculture by President Gerald Ford(R) and charged with failing to report more than $148,000 in 1978. He pleaded guilty to the tax evasion charge and was sentenced to 30 days in jail and five years of probation and was ordered to make restitution. He served 25 days behind bars before his release.[305][306]Legislative Branch[edit]Andrew J. Hinshaw (R-CA) Congressman convicted of accepting bribes while Assessor of Orange County. He served one year in prison. (1977)[307]Wayne L. Hays (D-OH), resigned from Congress after hiring and promoting his mistress, Elizabeth Ray See sex scandals. (1976)[308]Henry Helstoski (D-NJ) Indicted on charges of accepting bribes to aid immigrants but the case was dismissed by the Supreme Court. (1976)[309]James F. Hastings (R-NY), convicted of kickbacks and mail fraud. Took money from his employees for personal use. Served 14 months at Allenwood penitentiary (1976)[310]Robert L. F. Sikes (D-FL) reprimanded for conflict of interest in failing to disclose stock holdings.[292]John V. Dowdy (D-TX), Served 6 months in prison for perjury. (1973)[311]Bertram Podell (D-NY), pleaded guilty to conspiracy and conflict of interest. He was fined $5,000 and served four months in prison (1974)[312]Frank Brasco (D-NY) Sentenced to three months in jail and fined $10,000 for conspiracy to accept bribes from a reputed Mafia figure who sought truck leasing contracts from the Post Office and loans to buy trucks.[280]Frank Clark (D-PA) Paid congressional salaries to 13 Pennsylvania residents who performed no official duties.[280]Wilbur Mills (D-AR) Stepped down as Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee after his affair with Argentinian stripper Fanne Fox was made public in 1974.[313]Judicial Branch[edit]Otto Kerner, Jr. (D) Resigned as a judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit after conviction for bribery, mail fraud and tax evasion while Governor of Illinois. He was sentenced to 3 years in prison and fined $50,000. (1974)[314]1969–1974 Richard M. Nixon Administration[edit]Executive Branch[edit]Spiro Agnew Vice-President (R-MD) to Richard Nixon was convicted of tax fraud stemming from bribery charges in Maryland and forced to resign.[315] Gerald R. Ford (R-MI)(1973) was nominated by Nixon and replaced Agnew as Vice President (the first person appointed to the Vice Presidency under the terms of the 25th Amendment.)Bebe Rebozo (R)[316] investigated for accepting large contribution to Nixon campaign. No charges were filed (1973)[317]Watergate (1972–1974) President Richard Nixon(R) ordered the coverup of the burglary and 'bugging' of the Democratic Party National Headquarters at the Watergate Hotel. The cover up by Nixon and his staff resulted in 69 government officials being charged and 48 convicted or pleading guilty. Eventually, Nixon resigned his office rather than face impeachment.[318] Those involved include:John N. Mitchell, Attorney General of the United States, convicted of perjury. Served 19 months of a one- to four-year sentence.[319]Richard Kleindienst, Attorney General, convicted of "refusing to answer questions" given one month in jail.[320]Jeb Stuart Magruder, Head of Committee to Re-elect the President, pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy, August 1973[321]Frederick C. LaRue, Advisor to John Mitchell, convicted of obstruction of justice.[321]H. R. Haldeman, Chief of Staff for Nixon, convicted of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and perjury.[322]John Ehrlichman, Counsel to Nixon, convicted of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and perjury.[323]Egil Krogh, aide to John Ehrlichman, sentenced to six months.[321]John W. Dean III, counsel to Nixon, convicted of obstruction of justice.[321]Dwight L. Chapin, deputy assistant to Nixon, convicted of perjury.[321]Herbert W. Kalmbach, personal attorney to Nixon, convicted of illegal campaigning.[321]Charles W. Colson, special counsel to Nixon, convicted of obstruction of justice.[320]Herbert L. Porter, aide to the Committee to Re-elect the President. Convicted of perjury.[321]G. Gordon Liddy, Special Investigations Group, convicted of burglary.[321]Legislative Branch[edit]Ted Kennedy Senator (D-MA) drove his car into a tidal channel on Chappaquiddick Island, a small island off of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, passenger Mary Jo Kopechne drowned. Kennedy pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident and received a suspended sentence of two months.[324] (1969)Cornelius Gallagher (D-NJ) pleaded guilty to tax evasion, and served two years in prison.[325]J. Irving Whalley (R-PA) Received suspended three-year sentence and fined $11,000 in 1973 for using mails to deposit staff salary kickbacks and threatening an employee to prevent her from giving information to the FBI.[280]Martin B. McKneally (R-NY) Placed on one-year probation and fined $5,000 in 1971 for failing to file income tax return. He had not paid taxes for many years prior.[326]Richard T. Hanna (D-CA), convicted in an influence-buying scandal. (1974)[327]Judicial Branch[edit]Harold Carswell Judge (R): Was nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court (1970) by Richard Nixon, but was not confirmed. Civil-rights advocates questioned his civil rights record, citing his voiced support for racial segregationduring his unsuccessful election bid in 1948. Various feminists, including Betty Friedan, testified before the Senate, opposed his nomination and contributed to his defeat.[328] Roman Hruska (Republican, Nebraska) stated:"Even if he were mediocre, there are a lot of mediocre judges and people and lawyers. They are entitled to a little representation, aren't they, and a little chance? We can't have all Brandeises, Frankfurters and Cardozos."[320][329]1963–1969 Lyndon B. Johnson Administration[edit]Executive Branch[edit]Bobby Baker, (D) Secretary to the Majority Leader of the Senate (the vice-president then serving) and adviser to President Lyndon B. Johnson: resigned after charges of favoritism. (1963)[330]Legislative Branch[edit]Thomas J. Dodd, Senator (D-CT): Censured by the Senate for financial misconduct (1967)[331]Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. (D-NY): was expelled from Congress but won the special election as his own replacement (1967)[332]Daniel Brewster (D-MD) Senator pleaded no contest to accepting an illegal gratuity in 1975 and fined $10,000.[333][334]Brewster was convicted in 1972 of accepting $14,500 from a lobbyist,[335] and got a six-year term in 1973 over the conviction,[336] but the conviction was overturned on grounds of unclear jury instructions.[337]Lawrence J. Smith (D-FL) On August 3, 1993, Congressman Smith pled guilty to one count of tax evasion and one count of filing false campaign reports. He was sentenced to three months in prison.[190]James Fred Hastings (R-NY) was a delegate to the 1968 Republican National Convention and the 1972 Republican National Convention. He was elected to Congress in 1968 and served from January 3, 1969, until he resigned on January 20, 1976 after being convicted of kickbacks and mail fraud. He served 14 months at Allenwood penitentiary (1976).[338]Judicial Branch[edit]Abe Fortas, U.S. Supreme Court Justice (D): resigned when he was discovered to be a paid consultant to a convicted criminal. No charges were ever filed. (1969)[339]1961–1963 John F. Kennedy Administration[edit]Legislative Branch[edit]Thomas F. Johnson (D-MD) In 1962, he was indicted on charges of members of Maryland's S&L industry bribing him and lost his seat. Later was convicted of conspiracy and conflict of interest in 1968, served 31⁄2 months of a 6-month sentence and was fined $5,000.[340]Frank Boykin (D-AL) Was placed on six months' probation in 1963 following conviction in a case involving a conflict of interest and conspiracy to defraud the government. His prison sentence was suspended on age and health grounds and was fined $40,000 total. He was pardoned by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965.[341][342]1953–1961 Dwight D. Eisenhower Administration[edit]Executive Branch[edit]Richard Nixon (R): Eisenhower's V-P nominee delivers "Checkers Speech", to deflect scandal about $18,000 in gifts, maintaining the only personal gift he had received was a dog (1952)[343](Llewelyn) Sherman A. Adams, Chief of Staff to President Dwight Eisenhower. Cited for Contempt of Congress and forced to resign because he refused to answer questions about an oriental rug and vicuna coat given to his wife.(1958)[344]John C. Doerfer Republican. Appointed Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission by President Eisenhower. In 1960, he spent a week-long Florida vacation on the yacht owned by his friend George B. Storer, president of Storer Broadcasting; as a result, he was accused of conflict of interest and forced to resign.[345][346]Legislative Branch[edit]McCarthyism: A broad political and cultural purge against people suspected of sympathy with communism, starting near the end of World War II and reaching its climax in the investigations of Sen. Joseph McCarthy. The Senate passed a resolution of condemnation against McCarthy in 1954 after an embarrassing investigation of the United States Army, ending his career, but anti-communist purges continued for several years.[347][348]Thomas J. Lane (D-MA) convicted for evading taxes on his congressional income. Served 4 months in prison, but was re-elected three more times[349] before his 1962 defeat due to re-districting. (1956)[350]Ernest K. Bramblett (R-CA) Received a suspended sentence and a $5,000 fine in 1955 for making false statements in connection with payroll padding and kickbacks from congressional employees.[351]Douglas Stringfellow (R-UT) Abandoned his 1954 re-election bid after admitting to embellishing his war record. Stringfellow falsely claimed to have been awarded a Silver Star and feigned paraplegia.[352]1945–1953 Harry S. Truman Administration[edit]Executive Branch[edit]A Justice Department investigation of the Internal Revenue Service led to the firing or resignation of 166 lower level employees causing President Harry Truman (D) to be stained with charges of corruption (1950)[353]Legislative Branch[edit]Walter E. Brehm (R-OH) convicted of accepting contributions illegally from one of his employees. Received a 15-month suspended sentence and a $5,000 fine.[354]J. Parnell Thomas (R-NJ): a member of the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC), was convicted of salary fraud and given an 18-month sentence and a fine, resigning from Congress in 1950. He was imprisoned in Danbury Prison with two of the Hollywood Ten he had helped put there. After serving his 18 months he was pardoned by Truman (D) in 1952,[355]Andrew J. May (D-KY) Convicted of accepting bribes in 1947 from a war munitions manufacturer. Was sentenced to 9 months in prison, after which he was pardoned by Truman (D) in 1952.[356]James Michael Curley (D-MA) was sentenced to 6–18 months on mail fraud and spent five months in prison before his sentence was commuted by President Truman (1947)[357]1933–1945 Franklin Delano Roosevelt Administration[edit]Legislative Branch[edit]Francis Henry Shoemaker (Farmer-Labor-MN) was sentenced to a year and a day in the penetentiary for sending scurrilous and defamatory materials through the mail. (1933)[358]Marion Zioncheck (D-WA) Killed after he jumped or was possibly pushed out a window in Seattle, WA while still in office. He was known to have been feuding with J. Edgar Hoover. (1936)[359]John H. Hoeppel (D-CA), convicted of trying to sell an appointment to the West Point Military Academy. (1936)[360]Judicial Branch[edit]Halsted Ritter (R) U.S. District Judge of Florida, impeached for secretly taking a $4,500 fee from a former law partner. Convicted of bringing the judiciary into disrepute (accepting free meals and lodging during receivership proceedings.) Removed from office. (1936)[361]1929–1933 Herbert Hoover Administration[edit]Legislative Branch[edit]Hiram Bingham Senator (R-CT) Censured for hiring a lobbyist employed by a manufacturing organization to work on his staff. (1929)[362]Harry E. Rowbottom (R-IN) was convicted in Federal court of accepting bribes from persons who sought post office appointments. he was given one year in Leavenworth.[363]1923–1929 Calvin Coolidge Administration[edit]George English (D) U.S. District Judge of Illinois, impeached for taking an interest-free loan from a bank of which he was director. Resigned before his Senate trial. (1926)[364]John W. Langley (R-KY) Resigned from the US Congress in January 1926, after losing an appeal to set aside his conviction of violating the Volstead Act (Prohibition). He had also been caught trying to bribe a Prohibition officer. He was sentenced to two years after which, his wife ran for Congress in his place and won two full terms.[365][366]Senator William Scott Vare (R-PA) was unseated on December 6, 1929, due to charges of corruption and fraud during his election.[367]1921–1923 Warren G. Harding Administration[edit]Executive Branch[edit]Warren G. Harding (R-OH) President 1921–1923. His administration was marred by scandals stemming from men in his administration who followed him from Ohio who came to be known as the Ohio Gang.[368] They include;Albert Fall. Secretary of the Interior who was bribed by Harry F. Sinclair for control of the Teapot Dome federal oil reserves in Wyoming. He was the first U.S. cabinet member to ever be convicted; he served two years in prison. (1922)[369]Edwin C. Denby, Secretary of the Navy: resigned for his part in the Teapot Dome oil reserve scandal.[370]Harry M. Daugherty, Attorney General: resigned on March 28, 1924, because of an investigation about a bootlegging kickback scheme by his chief aide Jess Smith. Found not guilty. (1924)[371]Jess Smith aide to Attorney General Daugherty who destroyed incriminating papers and then committed suicide.[371]Charles R. Forbes appointed by Harding as the first director of the new Bureau of Veterans Affairs. After constructing and modernizing VA hospitals, he was convicted of bribery and corruption and sentenced to two years in jail.[372]Charles Cramer Forbes' general counsel, committed suicide. (1923)[373]Thomas W. Miller, Head of the Office of Alien Property: convicted of fraud by selling valuable German patents seized after World War I for far below market price as well as bribery. Served 18 months.[374]Legislative Branch[edit]Thomas L. Blanton (D-TX) censured for inserting obscene material into the congressional record. According toFranklin Wheeler Mondell (R-WY) the letter was said to contain language that was "unspeakable, vile, foul, filthy, profane, blasphemous and obscene". A motion to expel him failed by 8 votes.(1921)[375]1913–1921 Woodrow Wilson Administration[edit]Executive Branch[edit]Newport Sex Scandal: Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt initiated an investigation into allegations of "immoral conduct" (homosexuality) at the Naval base in Newport, Rhode Island. After the report, which revealed nothing, the investigators themselves were also accused of homosexuality. (1919)[376]1909–1913 William Howard Taft Administration[edit]Legislative Branch[edit]William Lorimer Senator (R-IL), The 'blond boss of Chicago' was expelled from the U.S. Senate in 1912 for accepting bribes.[377]Benjamin R. Tillman Senator (D-SC) and John McLaurin, Senator (D-SC) were both censured for fighting in the Senate chamber.[378]Ralph Cameron Senator (R-AZ) attempted to control access to the Grand Canyon by buying mining rights to adjacent lands. (1912)[379]Judicial branch[edit]Robert Archbald(R) U.S. Commerce Court Judge of Pennsylvania, for corrupt alliances with coal mine workers and railroad officials. Convicted and removed from office. (1912)[380]1901–1909 Theodore Roosevelt Administration[edit]Legislative Branch[edit]John Hipple Mitchell Senator (R-OR) was involved with the Oregon land fraud scandal, for which he was indicted andconvicted while a sitting U.S. Senator. He died before sentencing.(1905)[381]Joseph R. Burton Senator (R-KS) was convicted of bribery in 1904 on the charge of illegally receiving compensation for services rendered before a federal department and served five months in prison. (1904)[382]Henry B. Cassel (R-PA) in 1909, Cassel was convicted of fraud related to the construction of the Pennsylvania State Capitol.[383]1897 - 1901 William McKinley Administration[edit]Executive Branch[edit]Oregon US Federal District Attorney John Hicklin Hall (R) was appointed by President William McKinley. In 1903, Hall was ordered to investigate land fraud in what became known as the Oregon land fraud scandal and was put on trial for failing to prosecute land companies engaging in fraudulent activities, and for using his knowledge of illegal activities toblackmail his political opponents. On February 8, 1908, a jury found Hall guilty of the charges.(1907)[384] He was later pardoned by President William Howard Taft.[385]1881-1885 Chester A. Arthur Administration[edit]Executive Branch[edit]Nehemiah G. Ordway (R) Governor of Dakota Territory was removed by President Chester A. Arthur after he was indicted for corruption. (1884)[386]1881-1881 James A. Garfield Administration[edit]Legislative Branch[edit]Stephen W. Dorsey, Senator (R-AR) was included in the investigation of corruption of Star Route postal contracts under the administrations of President James A. Garfield (R) and President Chester A. Arthur (R). (1881)1877-1881 Rutherford B. Hayes Administration[edit]Executive Branch[edit]Ezra Ayres Hayt, Commissioner of Indian Affairs under Rutherford B. Hayes was forced to resign by Interior SecretaryCarl Schurz due to allegations of rampant corruption. (1880)[387]1869–1877 Ulysses S. Grant Administration[edit]Executive branch[edit]William Belknap (R), United States Secretary of War under President Ulysses S. Grant(R): Resigned just before he was impeached by the United States House of Representatives for bribery. (1876)[388]Whiskey Ring: Massive corruption of Ulysses S. Grant's (R) administration involving whiskey taxes, bribery and kickbacks ending with 110 convictions. (1875)[389]Orville E. Babcock (R) personal secretary to Ulysses S. Grant who was indicted in the Whiskey Ring scandal and 10 days later in the Safe Burglary Conspiracy. He was acquitted both times.[389]John J. McDonald (R) Supervisor of the Internal Revenue Service. Convicted and sentenced to three years.[389]W.O. Avery Chief Clerk of the Treasury Department. Convicted.[389]Sanborn contract: kickback scheme between William Adams Richardson(R) Grant's Secretary of the Treasury and John D. Sanborn (1874)[390]Black Friday (1869): When financiers Jay Gould and James Fisk tried to corner the gold market by getting Ulysses S. Grant's brother in law Abel Corbin to convince Grant to appoint General Daniel Butterfield as Assistant to theSecretary of the Treasury where he could then give them insider information. (1869)[391]George M. Robeson, Grant's Secretary of the Navy, was admonished by the House for gross misconduct and corruption in relation to his dealings with Alexander Cattel. (1876)[392]Salary Grab Act: The act that increased the salaries of the President, Congress and the Supreme Court. (1873)Columbus Delano Secretary of the Interior under Grant, resigned after allegedly taking bribes in order to secure fraudulent land grants.[393]Legislative branch[edit]Crédit Mobilier of America scandal:[394]Oakes Ames (R-MA) bribed Congress with Union Pacific stock.[395]James Brooks (D-NY) also implicated; both were censured for their involvement. (1872)[396]Judicial branch[edit]Mark Delahay (R) a U.S. District Judge of Kansas and cofounder of the Republican Party.[397] He was impeached by the United States House of Representatives on February 28, 1873 for "intoxication off the bench as well as on the bench",[398] He resigned two months later. (1873)1865–1869 Andrew Johnson administration[edit]Executive branch[edit]Andrew Johnson: President (I) Abraham Lincoln's vice-president, was impeached for violating the Tenure of Office Act. He was acquitted by one vote. (1868)[399]1861–1865 Abraham Lincoln administrations[edit]Executive branch[edit]Simon Cameron (R): Lincoln's Secretary of War resigned in 1862 due to corruption charges. His behavior was so notorious that Congressman Thaddeus Stevens, when discussing Cameron's honesty with Lincoln, told him that "I don't think that he would steal a red hot stove". When Cameron demanded Stevens retract this statement, Stevens told Lincoln "I believe I told you he would not steal a red-hot stove. I will now take that back." (1860–1862)[400]Legislative Branch[edit]Senator James F. Simmons (R-RI) on July 14, 1862, the Senate Judiciary Committee reported corruption charges against him were correct and referred them to the full Senate for action. The Senate adjourned three days later without acting. Before it could reconvene Simmons resigned on September 5, 1862. [401]1857–1861 James Buchanan administration[edit]Legislative Branch[edit]Preston Brooks (D-SC) caned Senator Charles Sumner until he was bleeding and unconscious while two others held the Senate off at gun point. (1856)[402]Daniel Sickles (D-NY) shot and killed the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia[403] Philip Barton Key II, son of Francis Scott Key, whom the Congressman had discovered was having an affair with Sickles's young wife, Teresa. He was tried and acquitted in the first use of the temporary insanity plea. (1859)[404]1849–1850 Zachary Taylor administration[edit]Executive Branch[edit]George W. Crawford (Whig-GA) Secretary of War in the Cabinet of President Zachary Taylor (Whig) was the center of the Galphin Affair land scandal with the help of Reverdy Johnson (Whig) Attorney General and William M. Meredith(Whig) Secretary of the Treasury, in which Crawford defrauded the federal government of $191,353. (1849)[405]1829–1836 Andrew Jackson administrations[edit]Executive Branch[edit]Samuel Swartwout was appointed by President Andrew Jackson to the New York City Collector's Office. At the end of his term he had embezzled $1.225 million in customs receipts and used the money to purchase land. He fled to Europe to avoid prosecution.[406]Margaret O'Neill Eaton, the wife of Secretary of War John H. Eaton was a central figure in the Petticoat Affair which involved accusations that she had engaged in an extramarital affair, and her social ostracism by the wives of other Cabinet members led by Floride Calhoun, the wife of Vice President John C. Calhoun.[407]Legislative Branch[edit]Robert Potter: Congressman from North Carolina who resigned from Congress after castrating two men he believed were having an affair with his wife. (1831)[408] Later, in North Carolina, he was expelled from its legislature for cheating at cards or for pulling a gun and a knife during a card game. (1835)[408]1817–1824 James Monroe administrations[edit]Legislative Branch[edit]Corrupt Bargain: supposed bargain by John Quincy Adams with Henry Clay. (1824)[409]1801–1808 Thomas Jefferson administrations[edit]Executive branch[edit]General James Wilkinson: was appointed to be Governor of the upper Louisiana Purchase. He then conspired with Spain to get Kentucky to secede from the Union in order to allow shipping on the Mississippi to reach New Orleans. (1787–1811)[410]Aaron Burr: New Empire (Southwest) Burr conspiracy (1804–1807) In which Burr allegedly tried to seize a large part of the Louisiana Purchase and establish his own country. He was arrested for treason, but was acquitted for lack of evidence. (1807)[411]Aaron Burr: duel with Alexander Hamilton (1804). See also Burr's "New Empire" conspiracy[412]Judicial Branch[edit]Samuel Chase Supreme Court Justice appointed by George Washington impeached for political favoritism and acquitted in 1805.[413]John Pickering, Federal Judge appointed by George Washington was impeached and convicted in absentia by the U.S. Senate for drunkenness and use of profanity on the bench in spite of the fact neither act was a high crime or misdemeanor. (1804)[414]1797–1800 John Adams administration[edit]Executive Branch[edit]XYZ Affair: French seizure of over 300 US ships and demands for bribes and apologies, led to a Quasi-War causing the US Congress to issue the famous phrase, "Millions for defense, sir, but not one cent for tribute!" Real war was averted by treaty. (1798–1800)[415]Matthew Lyon (Democratic-Republican KY). First Congressman recommended for censure for spitting on Ralph Griswold (Federalist-CT). The censure failed to pass.[416] Also found guilty of violating John Adams' Alien and Sedition Acts and sentenced to four months in jail, during which he was re-elected (1798)[417]1789–1796 George Washington administrations[edit]Legislative Branch[edit]William Blount Senator (Democratic-Republican-TN) Expelled from the Senate for trying to aid the British in a takeover of West Florida. (1797)[418]1777–1788[edit]Executive Branch[edit]Conway Cabal: movement or conspiracy to remove George Washington as commander of the Continental Army byThomas Conway and Horatio Gates (1777–1778)[419]Silas Deane: accused of mismanagement and treason while ambassador to France. Intending to clear himself of the charges he died suddenly, and the charges were eventually reversed or dropped. (1777)[420]

My latest and favorite, a bill to address the widespread corruption in American politics : Warren Delivers Speech on Comprehensive Plan to End Corruption in Washington | U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren of MassachusettsWarren's legislation is the most ambitious anti-corruption legislation since Watergate. The legislation contains six big ideas:1. Padlock the Revolving Door and Increase Public Integrity by eliminating both the appearance and the potential for financial conflicts of interest; banning Members of Congress, cabinet secretaries, federal judges, and other senior government officials from owning and trading individual stock; locking the government-to-lobbying revolving door; and eliminating "golden parachutes".2. End Lobbying as We Know It by exposing all influence-peddling in Washington; banning foreign lobbying; banning lobbyists from donating to candidates and Members of Congress; strengthening congressional independence from lobbyists; and instituting a lifetime ban on lobbying by former Members of Congress, Presidents, and agency heads.3. End Corporate Capture of Public Interest Rules by requiring disclosure of funding or editorial conflicts of interest in rulemaking comments and studies; closing loopholes corporations exploit to tilt the rules in their favor and against the public interest; protecting agencies from corporate capture; establishing a new Office of Public Advocate to advocate for the public interest in the rulemaking process; and giving agencies the tools to implement strong rules that protect the public.4. Improve Judicial Integrity and Defend Access to Justice for All Americans by enhancing the integrity of the judicial branch; requiring the Supreme Court follow the ethics rules for all other federal judges; boosting the transparency of federal appellate courts through livestreaming audio of proceedings; and encouraging diversity on the federal bench.5. Strengthen Enforcement of Anti-Corruption, Ethics, and Public Integrity Laws by creating a new, independent anti-corruption agency dedicated to enforcing federal ethics laws and by expanding an independent and empowered Congressional ethics office insulated from Congressional politics.6. Boost Transparency in Government and Fix Federal Open Records Laws by requiring elected officials and candidates for federal office to disclose more financial and tax information; increasing disclosure of corporate money behind Washington lobbying; closing loopholes in federal open records laws; making federal contractors - including private prisons and immigration detention centers - comply with federal open records laws; and making Congress more transparent.Remarks by Senator Elizabeth Warren**As Prepared for Delivery**August 21, 2018I want to begin with two numbers. 73. 18.For more than half a century, the National Election Survey has been asking Americans a simple question: Do you trust the federal government to do the right thing all of the time, or at least most of the time?In 1958, the first year this survey was conducted, the number was 73-that is, 73% of Americans polled said, yes, they trusted their government to do the right thing at least most of the time.For a long time, the number remained high.1968 was a year of historic convulsions. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, Bobby Kennedy was killed, North Korea captured a US surveillance ship, and North Vietnam launched the Tet offensive. Faith in government went down, but overall, it held firm. 62% still trusted government.After Watergate, the number took a big hit, dropping to 36%.But today?Eighteen.From 73 to 18. Not even one in five Americans today trust their government to do the right thing.I'd love to stand here and tell you that this was some sudden drop after Donald Trump was elected, but that wouldn't be true.This problem is far bigger than Trump.The way I see it, a loss of faith this broad, and this profound, is more than a problem - it is a crisis. A crisis of faith.This is the kind of crisis that leads people to turn away from democracy. The kind of crisis that forces people to stop believing in what we can do together. The kind of crisis that creates fertile ground for cynicism and discouragement. The kind of crisis that gives rise to authoritarians.---Why have so many people lost faith? Thoughtful people give different answers.Some say it's the result of politicians making government the enemy. And that's true.Since Watergate, generation after generation of American politicians have attacked the very idea that our government can do anything right. Recall Ronald Reagan's famous line: What are the nine most terrifying words in the English language? I'm from the government and I'm here to help.Really? Government help is terrifying? Give me a break. Do you know what's actually terrifying? Hurricanes like Katrina and Maria are terrifying, which is why victims of natural disasters ask for government help. After a lifetime of hard work, growing old and going broke is terrifying, which is why the American people strongly support Social Security. Choosing between food and medicine is terrifying, and that's why the American people rise up and take to the streets when Republicans try to cut back Medicare and Medicaid.And there's so much more that we want to work on together. Americans want roads and bridges. They want power and water systems. They want a top-notch economic system. They want real cybersecurity and a military that defends our nation. And they want a government that can deliver those things.Government can be a powerful force for good - but only when it works for the people.And the American people understand that today, it doesn't.Our national crisis of faith in government boils down to this simple fact: people don't trust their government to do the right thing because they think government works for the rich, the powerful and the well-connected and not for the American people.---And here's the kicker: They're right.At a time when this country faces enormous challenges, our government actively serves the richest and most powerful and turns its back on everyone else.At a time of skyrocketing inequality and stagnant wages for the middle class, our government is giving gargantuan handouts to the wealthiest Americans.At a time when mass incarceration grinds down human beings and destroys communities of color, our government is putting more cash into the for-profit prison industry.At a time when sea levels are rising and the health threats posed by climate change are accelerating by the day, our government is handing over both taxpayer money and federally protected lands to the fossil fuel industry.At a time of staggering drug prices and soaring out of pocket costs, our government tucks tail and runs away from any serious challenge to big Pharma and greedy insurance companies.At a time of crippling student loan debt, our government is bending over backwards to help bogus for-profit colleges and student loan companies get richer by cheating students.Across the board, our government-our government-is failing to fix the problems that face our working families. Instead, it's making the problems worse by giving more money, more power, and more advantages to those who already have all three.And so often - whether it leads to poisoned water or toxic bank loans - communities of color are hit first and hit hardest.Our government systematically favors the rich over the poor, the donor class over the working class, the well-connected over the disconnected.This is deliberate, and we need to call this what it is - corruption, plain and simple.Corruption has seeped into the fabric of our government, tilting thousands of decisions away from the public good and toward the desires of those at the top. And, over time, bit by bit, like a cancer eating away at our democracy, corruption has eroded Americans' faith in our government.I know that's a stark assessment. But I'm not here to describe the death of democracy. I'm here to talk about fighting back. I'm here because I believe that change is hard, but change is possible.Change can start with reforming how our largest companies operate. Last week, I introduced the Accountable Capitalism Act, which would restore the once-common idea that giant American corporations should look out for a broad range of American stakeholders. By requiring our largest companies to seat workers on their boards, limiting the ability of executives to get rich quick off short-term stock price bumps, and giving shareholders and Directors a real say in corporate political spending, this bill could go a long way toward restoring real economic democracy in America. And in the process, it would ensure that when American businesses engage with our government, they are speaking on behalf of their entire communities - and not simply as megaphones for the wealthy and the powerful.Getting American corporations to start acting like responsible American citizens is an important first step toward limiting corruption. But broader changes are needed.Today, I'm introducing the most ambitious anti-corruption legislation proposed in Congress since Watergate. This is an aggressive set of reforms that would fundamentally change the way Washington does business. These reforms have one simple aim: to take power in Washington away from the wealthy, the powerful, and the well-connected who have corrupted our government and put power back in the hands of the American people.We can do this. We must do this. And when we do, we will restore the faith of the American people - not just in our government, but faith in democracy itself.---The recent explosion of big political spending has delivered a gut-punch to our democracy. I do what I can by not taking any PAC money or any money from federal lobbyists. There's a lot of work to do on campaign finance, starting with overturning Citizens United. But that's not nearly enough. The corrupting influence of big money in Washington reaches much further than political campaigns.Big money eats away at the heart of our democracy. Over the last few decades, it has created a pervasive culture of soft corruption that colors virtually every important decision in Washington.Consider a couple of examples:First, the rich and powerful buy their way into Congressional offices. Exhibit A: Mick Mulvaney. After he left Congress, Mulvaney told a roomful of bankers that he had a rule in his office: if a lobbyist didn't give him money, the lobbyist didn't get a meeting-he met only with those lobbyists who ponied up for his campaign war chest. Today, Mulvaney is President Trump's head of the Office of Management and Budget and the person running the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. And when he made these comments right out in public with the press listening in, Trump and pretty much every Republican in Washington just shrugged.The rich and powerful also offer up some pretty nice gifts for public servants to do their bidding. In the early 2000s, Congressman Billy Tauzin started pushing an idea: expand Medicare to cover prescription drugs. Good for seniors-in fact, life saving for some. But also very good for Big Pharma-more prescriptions filled, more money coming in.And it might all have landed there, with seniors getting drug coverage and drug companies selling more drugs - but Big Pharma wanted more. Number one on their list was a flat prohibition on the worrisome possibility that the government might actually negotiate for lower drug prices. And Billy delivered - which I'm sure had nothing to do with the more than $200,000 in campaign contributions the Congressman received from the drug industry.Today, Big Pharma rakes in billions from seniors on Medicare while charging sky-high prices for the drugs they need-and no one in government can negotiate those prices. And what happened to Billy?In December of 2003, the very same month the bill was signed into law, PhRMA - the drug companies' biggest lobbying group - dangled the possibility that Billy could be their next CEO.In February of 2004, Congressman Tauzin announced that he wouldn't seek re-election. Ten months later, he became CEO of PhRMA -at an annual salary of $2 million. Big Pharma certainly knows how to say "thank you for your service."Sometimes the payoff comes upfront. Goldman Sachs handed Gary Cohn over a quarter of a billion dollars on his way out the door to become the head of President Trump's National Economic Council. A quarter of a billion dollars to help quarterback a tax package that included giveaways worth just over a quarter of a billion to Goldman -in the first quarter of 2018 alone. That's quite the return on investment for Goldman Sachs. For the taxpayers who paid Mr. Cohn's salary and were under the mistaken impression that Mr. Cohn was working for them, the return was not so good.The examples are everywhere these days. A Commerce Secretary who acts like a cartoon version of a Wall Street fat cat, awash in financial conflicts, intertwined with Russian financial interests, suspected of swindling millions from his business partners and using his official position to pump up his fortune through shady stock trading. An EPA Administrator who resigns in disgrace over corruption, only to be replaced with another EPA Administrator who belongs in the coal baron's hall of fame. A Congressman facing indictment for insider trading.Let's face it: there's no real question that the Trump era has given us the most nakedly corrupt leadership this nation has seen in our lifetimes. But they are not the cause of the rot - they're just the biggest, stinkiest example of it.Corruption is a form of public cancer, and Washington's got it bad. It's time for treatment, time to isolate and quarantine the ability of big money to infect the decisions made every day by every branch of our government.---This problem is enormous - but we've dealt with enormous problems before. We just need some big reform ideas and a willingness to fight for real change. So here's the First Big Change - Padlock the revolving door between big business and government.Ban elected and appointed officials from becoming lobbyists after they leave office. Not for one year. Not for two years. For the rest of their lives. Sorry, Billy. No more Congressman Pharma.And no more pre-bribes like the Gary Cohn giveaway. No special deals for millions and millions of dollars to the policymakers who will be in a position to pay back their old employers.We can also lock the revolving door for people who have led a company that got caught breaking the law or anyone who worked as a lobbyist for any corporation. A six-year time-out before that lobbyist or outlaw CEO can take a job in government. And we can limit the ability of America's biggest and most powerful companies to gain unfair market advantages from vacuuming up every former regulator on the market.Sure, there's lots of expertise in the private sector, and government should be able to tap that expertise. And, yes, public servants should be able to use their expertise when they leave government. But we've gone way past expertise and are headed directly into graft. Padlock the revolving door.Here's my Second Big Change: Stop self-dealing by public officials. If a person works for the government, then that work should serve the public. No making policy decisions to help yourself instead of taxpayers.Right now, that problem begins with a President who may be vulnerable to financial blackmail from a hostile foreign power and God knows who else - a President and his family who may be personally profiting off hundreds of policy decisions every day - but we don't know, because he won't show us his tax returns and won't get rid of his personal business interests.The truth is, it's insane that we have to beg the President of the United States to put the American people ahead of his own business interests. Insane.Presidents should not be able to own companies on the side. And we shouldn't have to beg candidates to let the American people to see their financial interests. That should be the law - not just for presidential candidates, but for every candidate for every federal office.While we're at it, enough of the spectacle of HHS Secretaries and herds of congressmen caught up in insider trading schemes. It's time to ban elected officials and senior agency officials from owning or trading any company stocks while in office. They can put their savings in conflict-free investments like mutual funds or they can pick a different line of work.Third Big Change - End lobbying as we know it.The term "lobbying" has been around for nearly two hundred years. And our Constitution protects "the right of the people...to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." But as recently as the 1970s there was no real corporate lobbying industry. There were lobbyists here and there, but there were not enough to fill a school bus.Today, the national Chamber of Commerce spends tens of millions of dollars to block policies that threaten the profits of a handful of America's richest corporations. They currently occupy an enormous building facing the White House, a sort of visual alternative to the government elected by the people. But back in the 1970s, the Chamber had no presence in DC to speak of. That started to change in 1972, when a hotshot corporate lawyer named Lewis Powell wrote a secret memo for the Chamber.The Powell Memo declared that the free enterprise system was under assault and urged the Chamber to mobilize America's biggest businesses and establish themselves as a political force to be reckoned with.It was a declaration of war on democracy. Powell called on corporations to raise armies of lobbyists and descend on Washington. And, boy, did they respond.Today, lobbying is a multi-billion-dollar industry -more than $3.3 billion in 2017 alone. More than eleven thousand registered lobbyists are deployed to work day and night to influence our government, largely on behalf of wealthy clients. And, by the way, that memo worked out pretty well for Lewis Powell too-a few months later, he was named to the Supreme Court.Nobody would argue that companies have nothing to contribute to our democratic process. Of course they do. But today, lobbyists working for the wealthy and well-connected crowd the halls of government like it's happy hour every hour. And particularly in Congress, where staff budgets and in-house expertise continue to shrink , it's easier than ever for them to simply overwhelm our democracy so that the lobbyists-or the lobbyists' paying clients-are the only ones whose stories get heard.That's not how a government of the people-all the people-is supposed to work. So let's fix it.Start by fixing the Swiss cheese definition of a "lobbyist." Require everyone who gets paid to influence government to register.And bring lobbying out into the sunlight. Make every single meeting between a lobbyist and a public official a matter of public record. Require public disclosure of any documents that lobbyists provide to government officials. Put it all online. And if that seems overwhelming-too many meetings, too many company-drafted bills, too many love notes-think about what that means is going on in the dark recesses of our government right now.Put a windfall tax on excessive lobbying, to ensure that when companies spend millions trying to stop the government from protecting the public, the cops on the beat get more resources to fight back.And while we're at it, let's strengthen the government's independence from lobbyists. Raising Congressional salaries to track other federal officials would mean that low-paid staffers don't feel compelled to audition for jobs with influence peddlers when they should be standing up to them.Finally, let's just plain get rid of some of the most corrosive and dangerous lobbying practices. The trial of Donald Trump's campaign manager has exposed how foreign governments hide their efforts to influence the American government through lobbying. We should ban Americans from getting paid to lobby for foreign governments-period. If foreign governments want to express their views, they can use their diplomats.One more piece: End legalized lobbyist bribery by prohibiting lobbyists from writing campaign checks or giving personal gifts to anyone running for or holding federal office.Reining in corporate lobbyists will make a big difference. But there's more.Too often, decisions in the federal agencies charged with implementing our laws end up captured by the very same corporate giants that they're supposed to be keeping in check. It's time for that to stop. Corporations should have a seat at the table, but they shouldn't take over the whole restaurant.And that's my Fourth Big Change - End corporate capture of rulemaking.Start by empowering beleaguered agencies to stand up to well-heeled corporate giants that don't want to follow any rules.When someone lies to a court, we call it "perjury." But, too often, when companies lie to regulatory agencies during the rulemaking process, they just call it "analysis"-and no one bats an eye. Meanwhile, Donald Trump's EPA has the gall to try to block objective, high quality science from being considered in the rulemaking process.Enough of this garbage. Prosecute companies that knowingly mislead government agencies. And stop the practice of companies paying for sham "studies" designed to derail the rulemaking process. Instead, let's force anyone who submits a study to a regulatory agency to disclose who's paying for it and who's editing it. If studies with financial and editorial conflicts don't meet minimal methodological standards, throw them out before they disrupt the process.---Fifth Big Change - Restore faith that ordinary people can get a fair shake in our courts.For starters, strengthen the code of conduct for all federal judges - no stock trading, no payments from corporations for attending events, no honoraria for giving speeches, no lavish getaways and fancy hunting trips funded by billionaires.And I mean all federal judges, including Supreme Court justices. I've heard Supreme Court justices say we should just trust that they'll be ethical all on their own. Yeah, right. I watched as Justice Gorsuch trotted over to Trump International Hotel to give a speech sponsored by a political organization that has worked for decades to break the backs of unions. A few months later, Justice Gorsuch delivered the deciding vote to crush public sector unions. What union member believed that her side actually had a fair hearing? There's a reason judges should be required to avoid even the appearance of favoritism.The courts should also be more open. Individuals and small businesses should be able to have their day in court. Americans should be able to see easily what's happening in the judicial process. Public filings should be easier to access online and free to the public. And it's ten years' past time for us to start audio livestreaming federal appellate and Supreme Court proceedings.---Finally, Big Change Number Six - Hire a new independent sheriff to police corruption. There are dedicated public servants that enforce our ethics laws, but they have less authority than security guards at the mall. Build a new anticorruption agency to make sure that all key federal officials-even powerful Senators and Presidents-file disclosures and get rid of conflicts. Close up the loopholes in federal open records laws. This agency can shine floodlights on government actions and empower the public and press with new tools to help safeguard our democracy.And we can do our best to insulate the sheriff's office from partisan politics and give it the tools it needs to seriously investigate violations and punish offenders.---Washington corruption is not a small problem, and it will not be rooted out with small solutions. In addition to the big changes I talked about today, my legislation contains dozens more ideas to promote clean government, from giant reforms to small tweaks and everything in between.These changes will require everyone who runs for or who holds office to change at least some of their practices - including me. Many of these ideas challenge the most fundamental assumptions about how business is currently done in our nation's capital. Inside Washington, some of these proposals will be very unpopular, even with some of my friends. Outside Washington, I expect that most people will see these ideas as no-brainers and be shocked they're not already the law.I'm sure the people who make big money off the current system will yell and scream and spend millions of dollars trying to stop these changes. And the all-day-long pundits and Washington insiders who live in the same neighborhoods and eat at the same sushi bars and go to the same book parties will say ‘this will never pass' and try to color me naïve for even trying. But it's that kind of self-serving group-think that's allowed corruption to spread through this town for decades.Besides, such nay-saying ignores our history: Our country has responded to deep corruption with bold action before.I won't pretend to be sure I've gotten everything exactly right. I'm willing and eager to discuss the details. My bill proposes a year-long transition for people to adapt to the new system before these changes would go into effect. But here is my promise: I plan to fight to pass as many of these reforms as possible. I believe we can break the stranglehold that the wealthy and well-connected hold over our government. I believe we can get our democracy working again.---There are millions of good people working in government. People who show up to do a hard day's work in federal, state and local government, determined to deliver essential services and their best judgments on behalf of the public.Men and women who are uniquely aware that they owe their jobs - and their salaries - to you, the people of the United States.They are Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle, their staffs, interns and volunteers.They are career public servants, serving here at home and in remote corners of the world.They are unified by a belief in the greater good of government. It's that belief, that shared vision of what it means to live and work and fight for a future in our democracy that gives me hope.We owe everyone fighting for that greater good a debt of gratitude.But we also owe them rules that promote an unwavering determination to serve the public-and only the public.This is not about big government versus small government. It's about whether government works for the wealthy and well-connected or government works for the people.Only 18% of Americans believe our government is doing right most of the time. But I'm not throwing my hands up and walking away. I'm not giving in to the cynicism. I still believe that in our darkest hours, at our lowest points, government can be a force for good to bring us back together.And here's the good news: deep down, still Americans believe it, too.You see it in the fight to make government affirm healthcare as a basic human right.You see it in the fight to make government stand for people and against giant corporations.You see it the fight to insulate government from the influence of corporate contributions.You see it in the fight to make government a force for healing our racial and cultural divides.Americans know that they have a government that isn't working for them. But instead of giving up, more and more people are demanding a government that is run by the people for the people.A country where everyone - everyone - has a fighting chance to get ahead.A country that stands for truth, honesty, compassion and service to one another.A country and a government that's worth believing in and worth fighting for.That's the country I believe in. That's the government I will fight for. I believe we can save our government, and together we can make it work for the people.