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Oh just a few things the liars at the mainstream media won't bother to tell you about.To date, the administration of President Donald Trump has taken significant action on issues of concern to social conservatives -- life, family, and religious liberty:2017On January 23, President Trump reinstated and expanded the Mexico City Policy, which blocks funding for international organizations that perform or promote abortion. This new program is known as Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance (PLGHA), which now covers $8.8 billion in family planning and global health funds that go to organizations abroad (none of whom may perform or promote abortion).On February 22, the Department of Education, in conjunction with the Department of Justice (DOJ) rescinded President Obama's guidance that required public schools to allow transgender students to use the bathrooms and showers of their choice.On April 7, President Trump's nominee Neil Gorsuch was confirmed to the Supreme Court. Justice Gorsuch has already developed a reputation as an originalist who will rule the right way on religious liberty issues. Gorsuch is representative of President Trump's judicial nominees overall.On May 4, President Trump signed an Executive Order Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty (known as the "Religious Liberty Executive Order"), broadly setting forth religious liberty as a policy priority of the administration, and requiring all federal agencies to take action to protect it. The order also more specifically addressed conscience protections, forthcoming guidance from the DOJ, and religious liberty in the context of free speech.On August 25, President Trump announced changes to the Obama administration's Department of Defense (DOD) policy which had allowed military personnel to serve even if they openly self-identified as transgender. (A DOD study found the Obama administration's policy to be detrimental to military readiness, lethality, and unit cohesion.)On September 7, DOJ filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court defending the religious freedom rights of baker Jack Phillips in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. This filing is representative of other actions defending religious freedom taking place throughout the Trump administration DOJ.On October 6, DOJ issued guidance and an implementing memo (as instructed by the Religious Liberty Executive Order) to all federal agencies explaining religious freedom law and how religious liberty must be protected. This guidance laid out a broad defense of religious liberty based on multiple statutes and provided each federal agency with guidelines for protecting religious liberty.Also on October 6, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed two regulations to deal with the Obamacare "HHS contraceptive mandate" that had for years violated conscience and religious liberty. These new regulations exempt organizations that have moral or religious objections to purchasing insurance that includes coverage of contraceptives and abortion-causing drugs and devices.2018On January 16, DOJ filed an amicus brief with the District Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia on behalf of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. The Archdiocese had wanted to promote a religious message during the Christmas holiday but, had been denied advertising space within the District's public transit system.On January 18, DOJ filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue defending the First Amendment rights of parents and students who attend a religious school, to participate in a private school scholarship program.On January 18, HHS announced a new Conscience and Religious Freedom Division within its Office of Civil Rights (OCR). This new division was established to enforce federal laws that protect conscience rights and religious freedom.On January 19, HHS issued a new proposed regulation on conscience protections related to abortion. Specifically, the regulation proposed to implement 25 laws that protect pro-life healthcare entities against discrimination by federal agencies -- or state or local governments receiving federal funds -- due to their objections to participating in abortion, sterilization, and other morally objectionable procedures.On January 24, Sam Brownback was confirmed as U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom. In choosing Brownback for this role, President Trump demonstrated the administration's commitment to religious freedom by choosing someone with gravitas and experience on the issue.On March 23, 2018, the White House and DOD issued a new policy allowing existing personnel to remain in the military while preventing those who have been diagnosed with "gender dysphoria" or had undergone gender transition surgery from joining the military. Those who are transgender and stable for 36 months could join so long as they serve in accordance with their biological sex.On April 26, Mike Pompeo was confirmed as Secretary of State. In choosing Pompeo for this position, President Trump chose someone who cares deeply about religious liberty and will make it a priority to see the issue advanced through this administration.On April 30, during a press conference with Nigeria's president, President Trump raised the issue of religious freedom and the killing of Christians in that country -- bringing attention to an issue that had largely been neglected by other government officials.On May 22, HHS issued a new proposed regulation reversing the Title X family planning regulations implemented by President Clinton. The proposed regulation would restore the separation of abortion services from the federal Title X family planning program, which President Reagan first implemented. The proposed regulation would also ensure parents are more involved in the decisions of minors to obtain services from Title X clinics. It reverses the discriminatory abortion referral requirement the Clinton regulations implemented and is poised to put a dent into Planned Parenthood's roughly $60 million annual revenues from the Title X program.On June 13, DOJ announced the Place to Worship Initiative, designed to increase enforcement and public awareness of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUPIA). This federal law protects places of worship and other religious uses of property. Through this initiative, federal prosecutors will receive training about legal protections for houses of worship.On July 24-26, the State Department held the first-ever Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom. Political and civil society leaders from around the world gathered in Washington, D.C. for a three-day summit to discuss religious freedom issues and solutions. The Potomac Declaration, issued at the Ministerial, made a strong statement about the state of religious freedom around the globe and provided a plan of action for promoting global religious freedom. The U.S. also announced the International Religious Freedom Fund (to provide emergency assistance to victims of religiously motivated discrimination and abuse around the world) and the Genocide Recovery and Persecution Response Initiative (which has provided nearly $373 million to help persecuted ethnic and religious minorities in northern Iraq restore their communities). The U.S. was among 25 countries who signed a statement condemning terrorism and the abuse of religious believers by non-state actors.On July 30, DOJ announced a Religious Liberty Task Force to fully implement religious liberty guidance and policy across all components of the DOJ.On August 1, the Trump administration relied on Executive Order 13818 (which builds on Global Magnitsky Act authority) to sanction two Turkish officials over the detention of American pastor Andrew Brunson due to his Christian faith. This Executive Order ultimately resulted in Pastor Brunson's release.On September 24, HHS terminated a $15,900 contract with Advanced Bioscience Resources to procure fetal tissue from aborted babies for research. The termination of this contract led HHS to announce an audit of all acquisitions and research involving human fetal tissue to ensure consistency with statutes and regulations.On October 6, President Trump's nominee Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court. Kavanaugh is the second constitutional originalist the president saw confirmed to the Court.On November 7, HHS finalized its two regulations to protect conscience and religious liberty from long-running problems with the Obamacare "HHS contraceptive mandate." These two final regulations exempt organizations with either a moral or religious objection to purchasing insurance with coverage of contraceptives and abortion-causing drugs and devices. The regulations took effect on January 14, 2019.On November 9, HHS proposed a new regulation to address an abortion surcharge hidden in many plans purchased on the Obamacare exchange. This proposed regulation would enforce the requirement that abortion surcharges are to be collected separately from other insurance premiums. This requirement was not closely followed under the Obama administration, leading HHS to now more strictly enforce the separation of abortion payments from other payments.On December 26, DOJ filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court defending a publicly-displayed cross-shaped veteran's memorial that had been challenged as a violation of the Establishment Clause. This position is representative of the Trump administration's originalist approach to the Constitution concerning First Amendment rights and other issues. Such an approach results in legal analysis that interprets the law rather than injecting policy preferences into it.2019On January 18, HHS notified California that its law requiring pregnancy resource centers to post notices about how to obtain an abortion violated the pro-life Weldon and Coates-Snowe Amendments. This marks the first time that the Conscience and Religious Freedom Division at HHS found a state in violation of these laws. This demonstrates the administration's commitment to enforcing conscience protections and its pro-life priorities.On January 19, at the request of 169 members of Congress and 49 senators, President Trump sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in which he promised to veto any legislation that weakens current pro-life Federal policies and laws. This letter was a message to the new Democrat majority in the House that longstanding pro-life protections like the Hyde Amendment and safeguards protecting the conscience rights of health care providers are not negotiable.On Februa ry 22, HHS announced final rule changes governing the Title X family planning program. Consistent with federal law, these rule changes ensured that Title X clinics would be financially and physically separate from abortion facilities and would not refer patients for abortions. Since the implementation of the rule, Planned Parenthood and several pro-abortion states voluntarily decided to withdraw from the program rather than quit performing abortions or referring patients for abortions.On March 8, U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback criticized China's poor religious freedom record in a speech he delivered in Hong Kong.On April 12, the Trump administration's policy on military service by those with gender dysphoria went into effect. This policy will help halt the deterioration of military readiness, lethality, and unit cohesion caused by social experimentation in the military.On May 2, HHS announced a final rule to expand the structure in which federal conscience laws are enforced. In 2011, President Obama issued a rule that enforced only three federal conscience provisions. The new regulation under President Trump covers 25 existing statutes, which will be enforced by the new Conscience and Religious Freedom Division, part of the HHS OCR.On May 5, at the World Health Assembly, the Trump administration issued a joint statement on behalf of the United States and eight other nations calling on other countries to join an effort to focus on women's health issues that unify rather than create dissension among members (like abortion and sexual and reproductive health). This statement was the first action taken under the administration's new Protecting Life in Global Health Policy (PLGHP), which seeks to build a global coalition to promote women's health while also protecting unborn life and strengthening the family. This policy works in conjunction with the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance (PLGHA) program, which restricts funding for organizations abroad that perform or promote abortion.On May 24, HHS proposed a new regulation that clarifies that discrimination on the basis of sex in section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act was to be interpreted under the plain meaning of the word. Therefore, it does not include "gender identity" or "termination of pregnancy" as set forth by a 2016 Obama administration regulation. The HHS regulation will continue to enforce existing civil rights protections; however, it makes clear that the federal government will not force physicians to participate in gender reassignment surgeries or abortions.On June 5, after an extensive audit into fetal tissue research, the Trump administration announced a major change in the enforcement of research contracts. HHS would no longer conduct intramural (internal) research using tissue from aborted babies and would greatly increase the ethics rules and safeguards that govern extramural (external) fetal tissue research contracts. All new external contracts will be subject to a congressionally authorized ethics advisory board, making it much more difficult for fetal tissue research contracts to be awarded by the National Institute of Health.On July 16-18, the State Department held the second Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced a new global initiative, the International Religious Freedom Alliance, meant to provide a way for like-minded countries to work together to advance religious freedom. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai gave a compelling speech condemning the use of technology to track and control the lives of religious minorities. The United States was among 14 signatory countries on a statement of concern about technology and religious freedom. The U.S. was also one of 34 countries that signed a statement of concern on counterterrorism as a pretext for the repression of religious freedom; one of 27 countries that signed a statement condemning blasphemy, apostasy, or other laws that restrict religious freedom; and was one of 46 countries that signed a statement that called upon government officials to condemn attacks on places of worship and to work with religious communities to protect these places. At this event, the State Department and USAID also announced new religious freedom training programs for foreign service officers.On July 16, the State Department placed targeted sanctions on Burmese military officials for their human rights and religious freedom violations committed against the Rohingya Muslim population.On July 18, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and HHS Secretary Alex Azar issued a joint letter on International Partnerships that called states to join a coalition of countries that seek to advocate against pro-abortion policies at the World Health Organization and the United Nations (UN).In August 2019, DOJ filed amicus briefs with the Supreme Court in two important religious liberty cases, R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes, Inc. v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Bostock v. Clayton County/Altitude Express, Inc. v. Zarda. Through these filings, DOJ advanced a biologically binary definition of sex and those who operate accordingly, whether because of science or religious belief.On August 15, the Department of Labor (DOL) proposed a new regulation that would clarify the scope and application of religious exemptions for federal contractors. Under the Obama administration, the scope of religious exemption at the DOL was severely narrowed. The current DOL relied on the history of our nation's preservation of religious liberty, the First Amendment, and Supreme Court decisions to re-invigorate the exemption to its historical and constitutional parameters.On August 28, the HHS OCR issued a notice of violation to the University of Vermont Medical Center for forcing a nurse to participate in an abortion despite a conscience objection. This marks the third time that the HHS Religious Freedom Division under President Trump has investigated a conscience complaint related to participating in or promoting abortion.On September 10, the State Department placed targeted sanctions on Russian officials for their religious freedom violations and torture of Jehovah's Witnesses.On September 23, President Trump hosted a meeting during the U.N. General Assembly and gave a speech solely on the topic of religious freedom. During the speech, he announced a U.S. policy initiative to protect places of worship, pledging an additional $25 million in funding to protect religious sites and relics. President Trump also announced the U.S. would form a coalition within the business community to protect religious freedom. This is the first time a U.S. president has hosted a meeting focused solely on religious freedom at the UN.On September 24, President Trump discussed the need to protect religious freedom during his UN General Assembly speech, in which he also discussed China and Iran -- two major violators of religious freedom.On September 25, HHS Secretary Alex Azar delivered a statement at the UN General Assembly stating that there is no international right to abortion, and that the U.S. does not support ambiguous terms like "sexual and reproductive health" in UN documents.On October 7, the Department of Commerce blacklisted 28 Chinese companies whose surveillance technology products are used to systematically oppress and control -- and violate the religious freedom -- of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, China.On October 11, 2019, Attorney General Barr delivered a striking defense of religious liberty at Notre Dame Law School. He noted, "[t]he imperative of protecting religious freedom was not just a nod in the direction of piety. It reflects the Framers' belief that religion was indispensable to sustaining our free system of government." The Attorney General proceeded to remind the audience that religion gives us the "right rules to live by." Barr highlighted the recent attacks on religious liberty, and that the DOJ under his leadership has been fighting back and protecting religious liberty.On November 14, the U.S. government lead a statement on behalf of itself and 10 other countries at the Nairobi Summit, once again calling upon the international community to focus on areas of consensus instead of divisive issues like abortion and sexual and reproductive health.On November 19, HHS issued a rule removing burdensome requirements that all grantees, including those that are faith-based, must accept same-sex marriages and profess gender identity as valid in order to be eligible to participate in grant programs. This included the adoption and foster care space, where these requirements had been used to shut down faith-based providers of foster care and adoption.On November 27, President Trump signed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act into law, which affirms Hong Kong's semi-autonomous status and protects against Chinese government encroachment, which is a threat to Hong Kong's religious freedom.On December 19, the Treasury Department sanctioned two Iranian judges responsible for human rights violations. One of the judges was known to violate the rights of Iran's Christian and Baha'i religious minority communitiesOn December 20, the center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a final regulation to address the abortion surcharge hidden in many plans purchased on the Obamacare exchange. This final rule aligns federal regulations with section 1303 of the Affordable Care Act, ensuring that consumers know their health care plan covers abortion and that funding for abortion is kept separate from all other covered services.2020On January 16, HHS Secretary Alex Azar hosted 34 countries for a meeting on how to promote women's health and protect the lives of the unborn. This meeting followed an invitation sent by Secretary Azar and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to 70 different countries inviting them to join a coalition to oppose international efforts to enshrine abortion as a human right.On January 16, the Departments of Education and Justice issued guidance on constitutionally protected prayer and religious expression in public elementary and secondary schools. This guidance ensures that prayer in schools is properly protected and not unconstitutionally prohibited or curtailed.On January 16, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) sent a memo to the heads of executive departments and agencies providing guidance on Executive Order (EO) 13798 "Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty." In order to protect the ability of religious organizations to operate in the public square, this memo required the agencies to review the EO and publish policies on how they will comply.On January 17, nine federal agencies (the Departments of Agriculture, Education, Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs, Justice, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Housing and Urban Development, along with the U.S. Agency for International Development) proposed rules leveling the playing field for faith-based organizations wishing to participate in grant programs or become a contractor. The rules eliminated two requirements placed on faith-based organizations that were not placed on secular organizations.On January 22, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services at HHS approved a family planning waiver for Texas to implement a state-run Medicaid program that excludes abortion providers like Planned Parenthood. This makes Texas the first state to receive Medicaid funding for a family planning program that does not include abortion providers.On January 24, President Trump became the first sitting president to give remarks in person at the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. In his address he stated the eternal truth that every child is a sacred gift from God and reiterated his effort to defend the dignity and sanctity of every human life.Also on January 24, HHS Secretary Alex Azar announced live at Family Research Council's ProLifeCon event that HHS issued a notice of violation to California for violating the federal Weldon Amendment by mandating all health insurers provide coverage for abortion. California's abortion coverage mandate has deprived over 28,000 residents of plans that do not cover abortion. This marks the second time that HHS has issued a notice of violation to California for violating federal conscience laws and is the fourth enforcement action taken by the HHS OCR's Conscience and Religious Freedom Division.In February, the Trump administration filled the role of Special Adviser to the President on International Religious Freedom within the National Security Council. This role was authorized by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, but has remained unfilled for over 20 years since that law's enactment. President Trump is the first president to dedicate a full-time staffer to this role and fill it on a permanent basis.On February 4, during his State of the Union address, President Trump called on Congress to pass legislation that would ban late-term abortions. To highlight the need for this legislation, he invited special guest Ellie Schneider, who was born at just 21 weeks gestation.On February 5, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo launched the International Religious Freedom Alliance. The Alliance will unite government leaders from like-minded nations to strategize ways to promote religious freedom and protect religious minorities around the world.On February 25, OMB issued a Statement of Administrative Policy strongly supporting two pro-life bills being voted on in the U.S. Senate: the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act and the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. Had Congress passed these bills, the president's advisors would have recommended that he sign both into law.On March 24, DOJ filed a statement of interest in a case protecting women against men intruding on their sporting competitions. The statement made clear that athletic qualifications on the basis of "gender identity" were harmful to women's sports.On March 28, amid the coronavirus pandemic, HHS OCR issued a strong statement reminding health care entities of their obligation to treat persons with disabilities with the same dignity and worth as everyone else. OCR reiterated its duty to enforce current civil rights laws and has already worked with states like Alabama and Pennsylvania to remove discriminatory practices from their pandemic health plans.On April 2, U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback held a special briefing. He called upon China, North Korea, Iran, and Russia to release their prisoners of conscience in light of the contagious coronavirus. Many of these prisoners were imprisoned for their religious faith.On April 3, after hearing from Family Research Council and other organizations, the Small Business Administration (SBA) issued a FAQ document confirming that churches and religious nonprofits are eligible for assistance like the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) in the coronavirus relief legislation known as the CARES Act. These clarifying protections ensure organizations would not be discriminated against based on their religious affiliation and would not have to give up their religious freedom in order to participate in these programs. In addition, the administration used an affiliation rule to ensure that large abortion providers like Planned Parenthood would not be eligible for coronavirus relief in the CARES Act.On April 14, DOJ filed a statement of interest protecting the religious liberty of church-goers in Greenville, Mississippi. During the coronavirus pandemic, the city of Greenville banned all religious services, even those that were able to abide by social distancing standards with drive-in church services.On April 17, the Department of Homeland Security included "clergy for essential support" in its list of personnel and entities deemed "essential" for purposes of responding to the coronavirus. This designation allows clergy and pastors more freedom to continue to operate and serve those around them in need at this time.On April 27, Attorney General William Barr directed federal prosecutors to monitor and, if necessary, take action to correct state and local policies that discriminate against religious institutions and believers while battling the coronavirus pandemic.On May 3, DOJ filed a statement of interest supporting the religious freedom of Lighthouse Fellowship Church in Chincoteague Island, Virginia. After the church held a 16-person worship service on Palm Sunday (following strict social distancing protocols), a criminal citation and summons were issued against the pastor pursuant to Governor Ralph Northam's executive order which banned in-person religious services but allowed large gatherings for businesses like liquor stores and dry cleaners.As of May 12, the Trump administration has overseen the confirmation of 193 federal judges, including two Supreme Court justices and 51 federal appeals court judges. Counting seven other judicial confirmations for roles outside the federal court system, President Trump has confirmed 200 judges so far during his time in office. An overwhelming number of President Trump's judicial nominees have been constitutional originalists, who will interpret the law as written, rather than interpret it according to their personal policy preferences. As judges, these nominees will rule correctly on religious liberty and pro-life issues.On May 15, the DOL issued guidance implementing the administration's Religious Liberty Executive Order and the DOJ religious liberty guidance. The DOL guidance also cited tothe OMB memo from earlier this year which directed all grant-administering agencies to detail how they will protect religious liberty in the context of such grants, and included specific action steps to ensure that religious liberty is protected.On May 18, USAID Acting Administrator John Barsa sent a letter to the UN Secretary General advocating that the UN not push abortion during the coronavirus crisis. Barsa noted that abortion is not an "essential service," and there are many actual health needs at this time. Therefore, the United States, which stands with the international pro-life community under the Trump administration, does not look kindly on these efforts to promote abortion.Persevering in Political Engagement: Lessons from the Life of William Wilberforceby Worth Loving (July 29, 2020)The abolition of slavery. Women's suffrage. Civil rights for black Americans. None of these reforms happened quickly. They only came about through years of dedicated efforts from people who refused to give up, despite overwhelming

Ahmed Mohamedis a sudanes arab decent americanif you want to fallow him her you goAhmed Mohamed (@IStandWithAhmed) | TwitterAhmed Mohamed clock incidentFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to navigationJump to searchAhmed Mohamed clock incidentAhmed Mohamed, October 2015DateSeptember 14, 2015VenueMacArthur High SchoolLocationIrving, Texas, United StatesThe Ahmed Mohamed clock incident occurred when 14-year-old Ahmed Mohamed was arrested on September 14, 2015, at MacArthur High School in Irving, Texas, for bringing a disassembled digital clock to school. The incident ignited allegations of racial profiling and Islamophobia from many media and commentators.The episode arose when Mohamed reassembled the parts of a digital clock in an 8-inch (20 cm)[1]pencil container and brought it to school to show his teachers. His English teacher thought the device resembled a bomb, confiscated it, and reported him to the school's principal. The local police were called, and they questioned him for an hour and a half. He was handcuffed, taken into custody without permission to see his parents, and transported to a juvenile detention facility, where he was fingerprinted and a mug shot photograph was taken. He was then released to his parents. According to local police, the reason for his arrest was because they initially suspected he may have purposely caused a bomb scare. The case was not pursued further by the juvenile justice authorities, but he was suspended from school.Following the incident, the police determined Mohamed had no malicious intent, and he was not charged with any crime.[2][3]News of the incident became popular – initially on Twitter – with allegations by commentators that the actions of the school officials and police were due to their stereotyping of Mohamed based on his Sudanese ancestry and Muslim faith. Afterwards, U.S. President Barack Obama as well as other politicians, activists, technology company executives, and media personalities commented about the incident. Many of them praised Mohamed for his ingenuity and creativity, and he was invited to participate in a number of high-profile events related to encouraging youth interest in science and technology. Although Mohamed was cleared in the final police investigation, he became the subject of conspiracy theories – many of them contradictory, citing no evidence, and conflicting with established facts – which claimed that the incident was a deliberate hoax.[2][4]On November 23, 2015, Ahmed's family threatened to sue the City of Irving and the school district for civil rights violations and physical and mental anguish unless they received written apologies and compensation of $15 million.[5][6]This lawsuit was dismissed in May 2017 for lack of evidence.[7]The family also sued conservative talk show hosts Glenn Beck, Ben Shapiro, and another Fox News commentator for lesser amounts on the grounds of defamation of character. Both cases were dismissed with prejudice for First Amendment free speech reasons.[8]In late 2015, his family decided to accept a scholarship from the Qatar Foundation and move to Qatar, partially because of unsupported accusations of terrorist links and continued harassment by conspiracy theorists.[9]Contents1Incident1.1Background1.2Clock and arrest1.3Suspension1.4Lawsuits1.5Immediate responses1.5.1School district1.5.2Irving's mayor1.5.3Ahmed Mohamed and his family2Reactions3Opinions3.1Politicians3.2Media3.3Conspiracy theories3.4Others4References5External linksIncident[edit]Background[edit]Photo taken by the Irving Police Department of the clockAt the time of the incident on Monday, September 14, 2015, Mohamed was fourteen years old and a high school freshman. In interviews with local media, Mohamed said that he wanted to show the engineering teacher at school what he had done over the weekend; he had taken apart a clock and rebuilt it inside a pencil case that resembled a small briefcase.[10]His father, Mohamed Elhassan Mohamed, said that he had driven him to school that morning and encouraged him to show his technological skills.[11]In an interview on Al Jazeera's Ali Velshi on Target, Mohamed said the clock was "built from scrap around the house" and that "some of the boards were already manufactured".[12]He told Larry Wilmore on The Nightly Show that it took him only "10 or 20 minutes" to put it together and that he had built more complicated items in the past but that the clock was simple, using some parts that were "scrapped off" so that it was easier.[13]According to the initial report in The Dallas Morning News, he had done this "before bed on Sunday [September 13, 2015]".[14]Ralph Kubiak, Mohamed's seventh-grade history teacher, said that Mohamed was known as an electronics enthusiast with a history of being disciplined for using a handmade remote control to cause a classroom projector to malfunction on command. Mohamed was also noted for making a battery charger to help recharge the cellphone of a school tutor.[15]The Dallas Morning News commented, "[s]ome of these creations looked much like the infamous clock – a mess of wires and exposed circuits stuffed inside a hinged case, perhaps suspicious to some."[16]According to the Guardian, everybody in middle school knew Mohamed as "the kid who makes crazy contraptions" and who fixed electronics classmates brought to him, earning him the nickname "Inventor Kid".[17]According to the Dallas Morning News, Mohamed's discipline record "was thick by some accounts", and he was suspended for several weeks while in middle school.[16]According to a family friend, one of the suspensions was for blowing soap bubbles in the bathroom and another was for his reaction to an alleged attack in the school hallway by a schoolmate. During that time, Mohamed "was complaining of bullying – not just by students, but by staff", reportedly for being Muslim. After reviewing a letter of support from the same family friend and meeting with Mohamed, the school principal overturned that suspension.[16]Clock and arrest[edit]Mohamed said he brought the clock to school because he "wanted to impress all of his teachers".[12]His engineering teacher, upon seeing the clock said, "That's really nice", but advised him to keep the device in his backpack for the rest of the school day, as he thought it resembled something akin to a briefcase bomb.[14]Mohamed, however, later plugged it in during his English class and set a time on the clock.[12]When the clock alarm started beeping, the English teacher requested to see it, and said, "Well, it looks like a bomb. Don't show it to anyone else."[11]In an interview posted on KXAS-TV (NBC 5), Mohamed said he "closed it with a cable ... 'cause I didn't want to lock it to make it seem like a threat, so I just used a simple cable so it won't look that much suspicious."[18]After the English teacher confiscated the clock and reported him to the school principal's office, the police were called. The principal and a police officer then took him out of class and led him to a room where four other officers were waiting.[14]Police indicated that he was interrogated only in order to clarify his intentions when he brought the clock to school.[2]According to Mohamed, he was not allowed to contact his family during the questioning and he was threatened by the principal with expulsion unless he would sign a written statement.[14]After interrogating him for about an hour and a half, he was taken out of the school in handcuffs and into police custody. Following his arrival at a juvenile detention center, Mohamed was fingerprinted, required to take a mug shot, and further questioned before being released to his parents.[2][19][20][21]Police determined that he had no malicious intent, and he was not charged with any crime.[2][3]Irving Police Chief Larry Boyd said that "the officers pretty quickly determined that they weren't investigating an explosive device", and that Mohammed was arrested over the prospect that it was a "hoax bomb".[22]Under Texas law, it is illegal to possess a "hoax bomb" with an intent to "make another believe that the hoax bomb is an explosive or incendiary device" or to "cause [an] alarm or reaction of any type by an official of a public safety agency or volunteer agency organized to deal with emergencies."[23]After releasing Mohamed, police continued to question his clock's purpose, saying, "He kept maintaining it was a clock, but there was no broader explanation."[14][24]Some of Mohamed's teachers at Sam Houston Middle School were surprised to learn that staff at the high school called police, as they have known Mohamed to bring more elaborate devices to their school.[16]His supporters have speculated that the questioning and subsequent transfer by police to a juvenile center exemplifies Islamophobia in the United States.[2]Suspension[edit]Mohamed was suspended from school for three days.[25]MacArthur High School's director of communications said he was welcome to return after his suspension.[26]Lawsuits[edit]His family sent a demand letter on November 23, 2015, saying they would file a lawsuit if they did not receive $15 million in financial compensation and a public apology from the City of Irving and the Irving School District.[5]He later withdrew from the school.[27]His family then filed a lawsuit against the City of Irving and the school district on August 8, 2016.[28][29]The lawsuit alleged that officers racially profiled him and treated him differently on the basis of his race and ethnicity, starting with when “Yep, that’s who I thought it was,” with the implication being that they expected a student with a Muslim name to be the culprit.[30]The lawsuit continued that the officers "pulled A.M. forcefully out of his chair, yanked his arms up behind his back so far that his right hand touched the back of his neck, causing a lot of pain."[31]On May 19, 2017, a federal judge dismissed the lawsuit, saying the plaintiff presented no facts demonstrating intentional discrimination against Mohamad.[32]Mohamed Mohamed, on behalf of himself and Ahmed Mohamed, filed a defamation suit in Dallas County District Court on September 21, 2016.[33]The named defendants were The Blaze, Inc, Glenn Beck, Center for Security Policy, Jim Hanson, Fox Television Stations, LLC, Ben Ferguson, Ben Shapiro, and Beth Van Duyne.[34]Case No. DC-16-12579. The Mohameds were represented by Susan E. Hutchison of Hutchison & Stoy, PLLC.[35]A hearing was held on December 16, 2016, during which all claims against the defendants KDFW Fox 4 and Ben Ferguson were dismissed with prejudice (meaning the suit cannot be re-filed, though this can be appealed). On January 9, 2017, Judge Maricela Moore dismissed the suit against several media outlets (TheBlaze, Glenn Beck, Jim Hanson and the Center for Security Policy).On February 2, 2017, the suit against Ben Shapiro was also dismissed with an order citing the Texas Citizens Participation Act.[36]Legal fees and other relief were awarded to all defendants.[37]On March 13, 2018 a federal lawsuit filed by Ahmed Mohamed's father against the Irving Independent School District, the city of Irving, and several specific individuals, was dismissed with prejudice and with the court ordering Mohamed's family to bear all the costs of the lawsuit.[38][39]Immediate responses[edit]School district[edit]School district spokeswoman Lesley Weaver said, "We are never going to take any chances for any of their safety [...] It doesn't matter what child would have brought a suspicious looking item. We still would have taken the same actions." She further said "If the family is willing to give us written permission, we would be happy to share with the public the other side of the story so they can understand the actions we took."[11]Irving's mayor[edit]Irving Mayor Beth Van Duyne defended the actions of the police and the Irving Independent School District, stating that they were following the procedure set when a "potential threat" is discovered.[40]Van Duyne said that from the information she had seen, Mohammed had been "non-responsive" and "passive aggressive" in response to questions from police officers.[41]Van Duyne said there was one-sided reporting of the interaction between Mohammed and police, saying that they are unable to release records because Mohammed is a juvenile and his family has refused to allow it.[41]According to The Dallas Morning News, Mohamed's family never received the request to release his records, because the school district mailed it to the wrong lawyer; the letter was later sent to the correct attorneys.[42]Ahmed Mohamed and his family[edit]According to Mohamed, when questioned by the school staff as to whether he had tried to make a bomb, he said, "I told them no, I was trying to make a clock."[43]He also questioned the fairness of the situation "because I brought something to school that wasn't a threat to anyone. I didn't do anything wrong. I just showed my teachers something and I end up being arrested later that day."[11]On September 18, Mohamed Elhassan Mohamed announced that his son would either be transferring to a private school or be home-schooled.[44]The family has since withdrawn all of their children from schools in the Irving Independent School District, and the father said the events emotionally affected his son, who was not eating well and having trouble sleeping. He said, "It's torn the family and makes us very confused."[45]Though many schools offered to enroll Mohamed, his father said he wanted to give his son time before making a decision.[45]The family hired counsel "to pursue Ahmed's legal rights and regain his science project from the Irving Police Department".[46]The police issued a statement saying that they had made the clock available shortly after the incident and were awaiting pick-up by "the student's father, or his designated representative".[47]Mohamed eventually got the clock back from the police on October 23 shortly before the family left the United States.[48][49]In October 2015, the family decided to move to Qatar, where Mohamed continued his education in the capital city Doha with a scholarship from the Qatar Foundation for Education[50][51][52]and will attend Qatar Academy.[53]Mohamed's uncle said another reason for the family's leaving the United States was fear caused by all the attacks they received, the conspiracy theories, rumors, and unwarranted accusations of terrorist links.[9]The family returned to the Dallas area in June 2016, saying they missed the relatives who had stayed in the U.S.,[54]and they would return to Qatar in the fall.[55]In August 2016, it was reported that Ahmed Mohamed would start 10th grade at Qatar Academy in Doha in September 2016.[56]Reactions[edit]President ObamaTwitter@POTUSCool clock, Ahmed. Want to bring it to the White House? We should inspire more kids like you to like science. It's what makes America great.16 Sep 2015[57]After the initial report in The Dallas Morning News caught his attention, tech blogger Anil Dash created an online form for people to send supportive messages and offer ideas about how to encourage Mohamed. Dash, with more than 500,000 followers on Twitter, was among the earliest to widely publicize the story through social media, and was first to tweet the photo of Mohamed handcuffed, wearing a faded NASA T-shirt. Within hours, the hashtag #IStandWithAhmed began trending on Twitter and Dash had received thousands of responses.[58][59]According to social analytics site Topsy, close to a million people sent out tweets with the supportive hashtag #IstandwithAhmed in less than 24 hours.[60]Mohamed opened his own Twitter account @IStandWithAhmed in the morning of September 16 and had more than 37,000 followers by the afternoon.[61]Irving Mayor Beth Van Duyne said that Irving's police chief and other police officers, as well as teachers and school administrators, were receiving death threats as a result of the controversy.[41]Mohamed also received support from President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Mark Zuckerberg. On Obama's Twitter feed, a post said "Cool clock, Ahmed", and asked "Want to bring it to the White House?" continuing "We should inspire more kids like you to like science. It's what makes America great." Zuckerberg invited Mohamed to Facebook headquarters. Mohamed and his family announced that he was going to the White House for its annual Astronomy Night, where he would have the opportunity to meet other aspiring young scientists.[62][63]NASA astronaut John M. Grunsfeld with Ahmed Mohamed at the 2015 White House Astronomy Night.On October 19, 2015, Mohamed attended the White House Astronomy Night event on the South Lawn of the White House and met with President Obama.[64][65][66]The President gave a speech to the audience in attendance at the event, saying: "We have to watch for and cultivate and encourage those glimmers of curiosity and possibility, not suppress them, not squelch them."[66]After his speech, the President talked with Mohamed briefly and hugged him, in addition to looking through a telescope and being placed on a call with the crew of the International Space Station.[65][66]Google invited Mohamed to attend its science fair, urging him to bring the clock along; when he arrived he "received a warm welcome, touring the booths and taking pictures with finalists."[67][68]Twitter offered him a chance to intern with them.[69]Retired Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield invited Mohamed to his science show in Toronto.[70]According to Ahmed's father, the family was invited to the headquarters of the United Nations in New York City where, he said, United Nations officials wanted to meet his son.[45]On September 25, 2015, Ahmed met with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, who was in New York attending UN meetings.[71]He was also invited to the Social Good Summit in New York City,[72]and during his visit, he met with Mayor Bill de Blasio, City Comptroller Scott Stringer, Public Advocate Letitia James, and members of New York City Council[73]on a visit arranged by the NYPD Muslim Officers Society.[74]After meeting Mohamed, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams tweeted "I'll buy one of his clocks!"[73]In late February 2016, the school district filed suit against the Texas Attorney General, in order to challenge an order that the school district release a copy of a letter sent by the U.S. Department of Justice to the school district while investigating the case.[75][76]According to The Dallas Morning News, the letter had described allegations of "both harassment and the discipline of students on the basis of race, religion and national origin".[76][77]After the incident, MacArthur High School's 2015 valedictorian, then in college, wrote that MacArthur High School and the Irving Independent School District were very supportive of her and her beliefs as a Muslim, and that she did not experience any instances of religious discrimination or Islamophobia.[78]Opinions[edit]Politicians[edit]White House press briefing on incidentIn a debate among 2016 Republican presidential candidates, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal said that he did not think that a 14-year-old should ever be arrested for bringing a clock to school but defended the police who were "worried about security and safety issues."[79]Twenty-nine members of the United States Congress, including Asian-American and Muslim members, sent a letter to the U.S. Attorney General at the Department of Justice requesting an investigation of "the civil rights violations that took place during the unjust arrest of Ahmed Mohamed."[80]The letter said "Ahmed was denied his civil rights on numerous occasions as he was consistently refused his right to speak with his father. Texas Family Code clearly states 'a child may not be left unattended in a juvenile processing office and is entitled to be accompanied by the child's parent, guardian, or other custodian or by the child's attorney.' (Section 52.025)"[81]The letter went on to say that reports about the incident suggested "that Ahmed Mohamed was systematically profiled based on his faith and ethnicity both by the Irving Police Department and MacArthur High School".[81]Letter from 29 members of the Congress to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch requesting a full investigation into the arrest of Ahmed MohamedWhite House press secretary Josh Earnest said that the incident "is a good illustration of how pernicious stereotypes can prevent even good-hearted people who have dedicated their lives to educating young people from doing the good work that they set out to do", and that Mohamed was invited to the White House South Lawn for Astronomy Night on October 19.[60][82]Media[edit]Techdirt writer Tim Cushing wrote that the Texas "hoax bomb" law Mohamed was accused under was too loosely worded, as a mere reaction by a public safety official was enough to fall under it (regardless of whether someone had intentionally meant to cause such a reaction), and that it could theoretically apply to other legitimate devices (such as phones and road flares) because they can "cause alarm or reaction of any type" from a public safety officer. At the same time, he wrote that the school itself may have also violated the same law, as they presented the clock to police as potentially being an explosive device.[23]Rose Hackman of The Guardian stated, "The incident caused international outrage, with critics claiming such drastic treatment would never have occurred had the teenager not been Muslim."[83]Writing in The Texas Observer, Patrick Michels said the Irving school district has a history of overly-punitive criminalization of childhood behavior and similarly called the arrest an example of "school-to-prison" thinking. "A child learns in school that he's a criminal, and he remembers that lesson for the rest of his life", Michels wrote.[84]The Wall Street Journal commentator James Taranto said he believes what happened to Mohamed is not uncommon; he points to a similar story from 2001 in New Jersey, in which Jason Anagnos, a nine-year-old non-Muslim boy, was arrested, charged and convicted for having brought a fake bomb along on a gifted-and-talented class field trip.[85]Kyle Smith of the New York Post brought up other cases of schools being overzealous in punishing white children for safety breaches, including a 7-year-old who pretended that his pop tart was a gun and a South Carolina teenager who had his locker searched for writing a story about shooting a dinosaur; he added that none of these children received the same level of attention as Mohamed.[86]George Takei, the Japanese-American actor who played Sulu on Star Trek, wrote an open letter to Mohamed, offering his support and drawing a parallel between Mohamed's experiences and those of the Japanese Americans (including Takei and his family) who were interned in the United States during World War II.[87]Kevin D. Williamson, a correspondent for the conservative magazine National Review, argued that the media was pushing a case for exaggerated Islamophobia, "because it can be used to further a story that the media already want to tell: that the United States is morally corrupt and irredeemably racist; that Muslims are under siege; that white privilege blinds the majority of Americans to the corruption at the heart of everything red, white, and blue", stating we now live in a time of "race-hustling and grievance-mongering". He contrasted the high level of media coverage for the incident with that of a lesser-reported incident involving the arrest of an eighth-grader for refusing to remove a National Rifle Association T-shirt in class.[88]Bill Maher said on his HBO series Real Time with Bill Maher that Mohamed deserves an apology but that his clock "looks exactly like a fucking bomb."[89][90]Conspiracy theories[edit]The Dallas Morning News and other media sources, including The Washington Post, referred to some comments and claims that emerged in the aftermath of the incident as conspiracy theories, reporting that most of them "cited no evidence, contradicted each other, or clashed with known facts".[4][91][92][93][94]Viral online posts sought to cast suspicion on Mohamed's family and Muslim groups that supported Mohamed after his detainment, positing that Mohamed planned to provoke his arrest to embarrass police and speculating the incident was a plot orchestrated by Islamist activists.[4]After reviewing these theories, Avi Selk of The Dallas Morning News wrote: "No theory that The News has reviewed cites any evidence that Ahmed, who routinely brought electronic creations to his middle school and said he wanted to impress high school teachers, planned to get handcuffed and hit the news" and reported that "a police 'investigation determined the student apparently did not intend to cause alarm bringing the device to school'."[4]Slate observed that at no point did officials exhibit any concern that the clock was dangerous.[95]The Washington Post and Time also noted that Internet-spawned "conspiracy theories" about Mohamed's motivations were partially responsible for his family choosing to leave the United States.[91][92]Others[edit]NASATwitter@NASAWe're supporters of #STEM & inspiring kids like Ahmed to pursue their dreams. Get involved: go.nasa.gov/1NxQJIz16 Sep 2015[96]Terri Burke, executive director of the ACLU of Texas, stated, "Islamophobia, and probably racism, certainly played a role in Ahmed's ordeal, but the fact is overzealous administrators, zero-tolerance policies, and law enforcement officers ill-equipped to deal with schoolchildren have compromised educational environments throughout the country. [...] Ahmed suffered through a terrifying, traumatizing, and unjust ordeal. Yet because of the mass exposure of what he endured, he's received invitations to the White House, Facebook headquarters, and the Google science fair. [...] For too many others – the ones whose stories won't go viral – the possibility of the American nightmare remains too real."[97]According to an article in The New York Observer, the widely circulated photograph of Ahmed in handcuffs wearing a NASA T-shirt has brought attention to the topic of STEM education (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) in America. "And now, children will be inspired to study STEM thanks to Ahmed's continued interest in it beyond all odds."[98]

Donald Trump administration (2017–present)EditAs of July 2019, President Donald Trump (R), his children, the 2016 Trump election campaign, the Trump Inaugural Committee and/or the White House were being investigated by 10 federal criminal, eight state and local, and 11 congressional investigations, according to the New York Times. This doesn't include investigations into administration officials or closed investigations led by Special Counsel for the Department of Justice Robert Mueller.[1] The Mueller investigation resulted in 34 indictments, and seven convictions or guilty pleas.[2]While adhering to Justice Department policy barring the indictment of a sitting president, the Special Counsel did pass on to Congress "numerous instances in which President Trump may have obstructed justice." [3]Executive BranchEditScott Pruitt (R) Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, resigned citing increasing numbers of investigations into his administration. The EPA's own Chief Ethics Official had been pushing for independent studies into Pruitt's actions and 13 other separate investigations were under way, including alleged corruption for personal gain, salary increases without White House approval, use of government staff on personal projects and unnecessary spending on offices and security. He resigned July 5, 2018[4][5][6]Albert Kelly (R) EPA Superfund Task Force Director and top aide to EPA Chief Scott Pruitt (R) resigned amid scrutiny of his previous actions as leader of a bank in Oklahoma which led to $125,000 fine and lifetime ban from banking. (2018)[7][8][9]Pasquale "Nino" Perrotta EPA Security Administrator resigned after allegations of lavish spending and improper contracts (2018)[10]Samantha Dravis (R) EPA Associate Administrator and Senior Counsel in the Office of Policy resigned abruptly after allegations of being a no show employee. (2018)[11][12][13]George Papadopoulos (R) Foreign policy advisor pleaded guilty to making false statements to FBI agents relating to contacts he had with agents of the Russian government while working for the Trump campaign. He was sentenced to 14 days in prison, 12 months probation, and 200 hours community service.(2017)[14][15][16][17][18]Michael Flynn National Security Advisor, was forced to resign on February 13, 2017, over conversations he had with Russian envoys about sanctions during the transition. On December 1, 2017, Flynn pleaded guilty to charges of lying to the FBI as a plea bargain. (2017)[19][20]William C. Bradford resigned from the United States Department of Energy Office of Indian Energy amid reports that he had made racial slurs directed at Barack Obama on Disqus and Twitter. Bradford had claimed that some of the comments were the result of identity theft and not his. (2017)[21]Tom Price (R) Health and Human Services Secretary, was forced to resign on September 29, 2017, after it was discovered that he spent hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars on private flights.[22]Brenda Fitzgerald (R) Director of the Center for Disease Control was forced to resign on January 31, 2018, after it was discovered that she bought stock in tobacco, the leading cause of preventable death in the US, creating a conflict of interest.[23]Taylor Weyeneth (R) Deputy CoS at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy resigned when it was revealed the 24 year old had no qualifications for the position and no related work history other than working on President Trump's campaign (2018).[24][25]David Sorensen (R) White House speechwriter, resigned after his ex-wife Jessica Corbett came forward with abuse allegations. (2018)[26][27]Vivieca Wright Simpson, Chief of Staff to Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin (I) resigned after an inspector general report charged that she altered an email to make it appear Shulkin was getting an award during a trip to Europe in order to gain approval to use taxpayer dollars to pay for Shulkin's wife to accompany him.[28] Six weeks later, Trump fired Shulkin via Twitter.[29]Rob Porter (R) White House Staff Secretary (R) resigned from the position on February 7, 2018, following public allegations of spousal abuse from his two ex-wives, Colbie Holderness and Jennifer Willoughby.[30][31] The allegations were supported by photographs of a black eye and a restraining order.[32][33]Tony Tooke Chief of the US Forest Service, resigned after a series of sexual harassment and retaliation accusations. (2018)[34]Rick Gates (R) 2016 Deputy Campaign Chairman to President Donald Trump (R) pleaded guilty to conspiracy and lying to investigators concerning his work lobbying with Ukraine as well as tax and bank fraud (2018)[35][36]Michael Cohen (lawyer) (R) Personal Attorney to President Donald Trump (R) and vice – president to the Trump organization, pleaded guilty to tax evasion, bank fraud and illegal campaign contributions. He also helped arrange non-disclosure agreements to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal who allegedly had affairs with Trump. Cohen pleaded guilty to eight counts of tax evasion and making false statement.(2018)[37][38][39][40][41][42]Paul Manafort (R) Campaign Manager for President Donald Trump (R), was charged with 18 counts of tax and bank fraud which involved keeping $65 million in foreign bank accounts and spending $15 million on himself. He was found guilty on 8 counts.[43][44][45][194] | March 8, 2019 | Manafort was sentenced to 47 months in prison.[46]| March 13, 2019| Manafort was sentenced to another 43 months, for charges of federal conspiracy and obstruction.[47]Facing "multiple probes tied to his real estate dealings in his home state of Montana and his conduct in office," Interior Department Secretary Ryan Zinke resigned in December 2018 after the Interior Department inspector general referred one of several investigations into Zinke to the Justice Department.[48]In January 2019, Trump political adviser Roger Stone was indicted on "one count of obstruction of an official proceeding, five counts of false statements, and one count of witness tampering." The charges arose from the Special Counsel's investigation into Russian interference on behalf of the 2016 Trump election campaign.[49]Secretary of Labor Alex Acostaresigned on July 12, 2019, "after defending himself in a contentious news conference over his role as a U.S. attorney,"[50] in 2008, in dismissing federal charges against Jeffrey Epstein, "that allowed the financier to plead guilty to lesser offenses in a sex-crimes case involving underage girls."[50]Epstein had been arrested again on July 6, 2019, on charges of trafficking young girls.[51] Epstein committed suicide on August 10, 2019, in the Metropolitan Correctional Center, New York City.[52] After Price, Pruitt, Shulkin and Zinke, Acosta became the fifth Trump Cabinet member to resign or be fired amid a scandal.[50]Legislative BranchEditU.S. Representative Duncan Hunter (R-CA) and wife were indicted in federal court on dozens of charges, including wire fraudand using campaign funds for personal use. (2018)[53][54]U.S. Representative Chris Collins(R-NY) was arrested by the FBIand charged with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, seven counts of securities fraud, and lying to the FBI. *2018)[55][56]US Senator Al Franken (D-MN) resigned on January 2, 2018, after several accusations of sexual misconduct.[57]Clint Reed (R) CoS for US Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) was fired for allegations of "improper conduct" and threats to withhold employment benefits from an unnamed subordinate. (2018)[58][59]*U.S. Representative Steve Stockman (R-TX) orchestrated a scheme to steal money from charitable foundations and the individuals who ran them. The funds were used to finance Stockman's campaigns and personal expenses. He was convicted on 23 felony counts of perjury, fraud and money laundering and sentenced to 10 years.(2018)[60][61][62]Jason T. Posey (R) Director of Special Projects and Campaign Treasurer for Stephen E. Stockman at the personal direction and supervision of Stockman, Posey took almost one million dollars from various sources and illegally funneled it into Stockman's 2014 Senate campaign. He pled guilty to mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering and conduit contributions. (2013)[63][64]Thomas Dodd (R) Special Assistant to Steve Stockmanpled guilty to two conspiracy charges and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. (2013)[63][64][65]U.S. Representative Blake Farenthold (R-TX) resigned in the wake of reports he used public funds to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit and had created an intensely hostile work environment for women in his congressional office.[66][67][68]U.S. Representative Pat Meehan(R-PA) resigned following the revelation that he used taxpayers' money to settle a sexual harassment claim brought by a female staff member.[69]US Representative Corrine Brown(D-FL) was found guilty of fraud for using $800K from a fake charity for her own personal use. She was sentenced to 5 years. (2018)[70][71][72]Ronnie Simmons (D) CoS to U.S. Representative Corrine Brown (D-FL) pled guilty to fraud.(2017)[73][74]US Representative Trent Franks(R-AZ) from the 8th District abruptly resigned when confronted about sexual misconduct with his staff (2017).[75]US Representative Timothy F. Murphy (R-PA), the married, anti-abortion congressman resigned just before an investigation could begin concerning his allegedly urging his mistress to seek an abortion. (2017)[76][77]US Representative Greg Gianforte(R-MT) body slammed reporter Ben Jacobs. Gianforte was then found guilty of assault and sentenced to 40 hours of community service, 20 hours of anger management, a 180-day deferred sentence, a $385 fine and court fee. As part of his settlement with Jacobs, Gianforte donated $50,000 to the Committee to Protect Journalists.[78](2017)[79][80][81][82][83][84]US Representative John Conyers(D-MI) resigned on December 5, 2017, after sources revealed he had paid a $27,000 settlement to one of his staffers who had accused him of sexual assault. Conyers resigned after congressional investigations were initiated against Conyers.[85][86]Staff Fred W. Pagan (R) to US Senator Thad Cochran(R-MS) pled guilty to possession of methamphetamine and GBL with intent to distribute and was sentenced to 30 months in prison. (2016)[87][88][89][90]Judicial BranchEditUS Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Judge Alex Kozinski, appointed by Ronald Reagan, retired following allegations of sexual misconduct from several women, including former clerks.[91]Barack Obama administration (2009–2017)EditExecutive BranchEditKatherine Archuleta, Director of the Office of Personnel Management, resigned on July 10, 2015, after taking responsibility for cyber intrusions into her department that allowed the theft of data concerning 22 million people.[92]Secretary of Veterans AffairsGeneral Eric Shinseki, resigned after Veterans Administration officials in the Phoenix, AZ, hospital lied about the length of wait times for veterans to see a doctor. See Veterans Health Administration scandal of 2014.[93][94][95][96]Steven T. Miller Acting Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, resigned after the IRS admitted to investigating conservative political groups associated with the Tea Party to see if they actually met the criteria for the tax exemptions they were claiming.[97] Later, it was found that the IRS also investigated progressives groups as well, and there had been no intentional wrongdoing in the investigations. [98][99][100][101][102] See 2013 IRS scandal. Other actions arising from the scandal included: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.[103] She retired in 2013 after an internal IRS investigation found that she had neglected her duties and was going to call for her ouster.[104]Joseph H. Grant, Commissioner of the IRS Tax-exempt and Government Entities division, resigned on May 16, 2013.[105]ATF gunwalking scandal – Attorney General Eric Holder (D) was held in Contempt of Congress after refusing to release all documents which the House of Representatives had demanded concerning the Fast and Furiousgun walking operation. He did not resign and no charges were brought. (2012)[106]Terence Flynn (R) an appointee of Barack Obama to the National Labor Relations Board, resigned in May 2012, after being accused of ethical violations by leaking Board information to the National Association of Manufacturers.[107]Martha N. Johnson (D) 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)[108][109][110][111]David Petraeus resigned as Director of the CIA on November 9, 2012, having pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of mishandling classified materials, after admitting to giving them to his biographer with whom he was having a sexual relationship. He was given two-years probation and fined $100,000. See Petraeus scandal[112]Legislative BranchEditChaka Fattah (D-PA) from Pennsylvania's 2nd district was found guilty on all 23 charges he faced, which included racketeering, money laundering and fraud.[113][114] He was sentenced to 10 years and resigned from Congress on June 23, 2016.[115][116]Anthony Weiner (D-NY) from New York's 9th congressional districtresigned from Congress in June 2011 when the first of what would become multiple sexting scandalswere made public.[117]David Wu (D-OR) for Oregon's 1st congressional district announced he would resign from Congress, four days after a report that a young woman called his office complaining of an "unwanted sexual encounter" with the congressman.[118]Chris Lee (R-NY) for New York's 26th congressional districtresigned after he solicited a woman on Craigslist and emailed a shirtless photo of himself. (2011)[119]Dennis Hastert (R-IL) pleaded 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 underage boy from his days as a high school wrestling coach, from 1965 to 1981. (2015)[120][121][122]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)[123]Benjamin Cole (R) Schock's senior adviser, 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."[124]Brett O'Donnell, Communications Director for Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), plead guilty to lying to investigators from the House Office of Congressional Ethics about working for Rodgers while being paid with campaign money, thus becoming the first person ever to be convicted of lying to the House OCE.[125]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.[126]Paul Seewald worked for McCotter as his District Director of the Michigan's 11th congressional district. He pleaded 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.[127]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.[128]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. Turnbull was also ordered to pay a $1,440 fine. In addition, she is forbidden from any participation in elections or the political process.[129]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.[130]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).[131]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. Rivera was not convicted.[132][133]Ana Alliegro (R), the Campaign Manager for David Rivera (R-FL), pleaded guilty to violation of US campaign laws. She was given six months in jail and six months of house arrest plus two years of probation. (2014)[134]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.[135]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. He was sentenced to 180 days in prison, but served no time.[136][137][138]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 pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor in a Washington, D.C. court, and was sentenced to one year of 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.[139][140][141]Jesse L. Jackson Jr. (D-IL) pleaded 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.[142]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)[143][144]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)[145][146][147][148](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.[149]Michael Grimm (R-NY) pleaded guilty to tax fraud on December 23, 2014, and was sentenced to eight months in federal prison.[150]John Tate (R) Campaign Manager for Ron Paul (R-TX) was indicted for concealing over $73,000 in payments to Iowa State Senator Kent Sorenson to convince him to flip his presidential endorsement from Michele Bachmann to Paul. He was convicted of conspiracy, causing false records, causing false campaign expenditure reports, and making false statements. He was sentenced to 6 months' home confinement, 2 years' probation and fined $10,000. (2016)[151]Dimitri Kesari Deputy Campaign Manager for Ron Paul (R-TX) was convicted of causing false records concerning charges of buying an Iowa State Senator's endorsement during the 2012 presidential campaign. (2012)[152][153]Fred Pagan (R) Office Administrator to US Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS) pled guilty to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and was sentenced to 30 months in prison. (2016)[154][155]Jesse Benton (R) Campaign Chairman for Ron Paul (R-TX) concealed over $73,000 in payments to Iowa State Senator Kent Sorenson to convince him to flip his presidential endorsement from Michele Bachmann to Ron Paul. He was convicted of conspiracy, causing false records, causing false campaign expenditure reports, and making false statements. He was sentenced to 6 months' home confinement, fined $10,000 and 2 years' probation(2016)[156][157]Scott DesJarlais (R-TN) while running for re-election on a pro-life platform, it was discovered that he had made his wife have two abortions, and tried to persuade his mistress (who was also his patient), to have one as well. He also admitted under oath that while a married physician at Grandview Medical Center in Jasper, Tennessee, he had six affairs with three co-workers, two patients and a drug representative. He was investigated by the Tennessee Board of Health, pleaded guilty and was fined. (2012)[158][159]Robert Decheine (D) CoS to U.S. Representative Steve Rothman (D-NJ), was sentenced to 18 months in prison for soliciting sex from a minor. (2011)[160][161]Adam Kuhn (R) CoS to U.S. Representative Steve Stivers (R-OH), resigned abruptly after a former porn actress posted an explicit photo of his penis online. (2014)[162]Mike Crapo (R-ID) US Senator, pleaded guilty to a drunk driving charge on January 4, 2012, and was fined $250, and received a one-year suspension of his driver's license. (2012)[163][164]David Wihby (R) top aide to US Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) resigned after he was arrested in a prostitution sting in Nashua. (2015)[165][166][167]Judicial BranchEditAlabama District Judge Mark E. Fuller (R) appointed by Republican George W. Bush was found guilty of domestic violence, sentenced to domestic training and forced to resign. (2015)[168][169][170]Eastern Louisiana Federal Judge G. Thomas Porteous appointed by Democrat Bill Clinton, 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. (2010)[171][172]Galveston, Texas Federal District Judge Samuel B. Kent (R) was sentenced to 33 months in prison for lying about sexually harassing two female employees. He had been appointed to office by President George H. W. Bush in 1990. Resigned after being impeached on June 10, 2009[173][174][175]Senior Federal U.S. District Court Judge Jack T. Camp (R) for the Northern District of GA, who was appointed by Republican George W. Bush, was arrested while trying to purchase cocaine from an FBI agent. Pled guilty to three criminal charges and was sentenced to 30 days in jail, 400 hours' community service and fined.[176][177][178][179][180]Federal Judge Richard F. Cebull(R) for the District of Montana, was found to have sent hundreds of racist and sexist emails. After an investigation led to calls for his impeachment, Cebull took senior status and then resigned. (2013)[181][182][183][184][185]George W. Bush administration (2001–2009)EditExecutive BranchEditJoseph E. Schmitz (R) was nominated by President George W. Bush (R) to be Defense Department Inspector General on 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.[186][187][188][189]Walter Reed Army Medical Center neglect scandal (2007) about substandard conditions for wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center including long delays in treatment, rodent infestation and outbreaks of mold resulted in the relief of three senior staff;Francis J. Harvey (R) Secretary of the Army, appointed by G. W. Bush, resigned[190][191][192]Maj. Gen. George Weightman ( ) was fired for failures linked to the scandal[193][194][195][196]Lt. Gen. Kevin C. Kiley (R) appointed by G. W. Bush, was relieved of command resigned for failures linked to the scandal.[197][198]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.[199] He was sentenced to 30 months in prison for stealing almost $600,000 for personal use.[200]Timothy Goeglein, Special Assistant to President Bush, resigned in 2008 when it was discovered that more than twenty of his columns had been plagiarized from an Indiana newspaper.[201]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...."[202] On February 2, Magistrate Judge Deborah A. Robinson ruled that Bloch faces a mandatory sentence of at least one month in prison.[203][204]Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Chief of Staff to Vice President Dick Cheney (R), 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.[205][206]President Donald Trump fully pardoned Libby on April 13, 2018.[207][208]Alphonso Jackson, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, resigned while under investigation by the Justice Department for alleged cronyism and favoritism[209]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 email controversy and Plame affair. He resigned in April 2007. (See Karl Rove in the George W. Bush administration)[210]Richard J. Griffin, the 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.[211]Republican contributor Howard Krongard[212] was appointed Inspector General of the US State Department by President George W. Bush in 2005.[213] 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.[214][215]"Lawyergate"[216] or the Dismissal of U.S. attorneys controversyrefers to President Bush firing, without explanation, eleven Republican federal prosecutors whom he himself had appointed. It is alleged that they were fired for prosecuting Republicans and notprosecuting Democrats.[217][218]When Congressional hearings were called, a number of senior Justice Department officials cited executive privilege and refused to testify under oath and instead resigned, including:Bush White House email 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.[229] As many as five million emails requested by Congressional investigators were therefore unavailable, lost, or deleted.[230]Lurita Alexis Doan (R) Administrator of General Services, investigated for "the most pernicious of political activity" at work. The team also recommended she be "disciplined to the fullest extent." Among other things she asked GSA employees how they could "help Republican candidates". She resigned. (2000)[231][232][233][234]J. Steven Griles (R) Deputy to the Secretary of the Interior pled guilty to obstruction of justice and was sentenced to 10 months.[235][236][237]John Korsmo, chairman of the Federal Housing Finance Board, pleaded guilty to lying to congress and sentenced to 18 months of unsupervised probation and fined $5,000. (2005)[238][239]Darleen A. Druyun was the Principal Deputy Undersecretary of the Air Force nominated by George W. Bush.[240] She pleaded 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.[241] CBS News called it "the biggest Pentagon scandal in 20 years" and said that she pleaded guilty to a felony.[242]Philip Cooney (R) Bush appointed to chair the Council on Environmental Quality, was accused of editing government climate reports to emphasize doubts about global warming.[243]Two days later, Cooney announced his resignation[244] and later conceded his role in altering reports. Stating "My sole loyalty was to the President and advancing the policies of his administration".[245][246]Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal was a prominent Republican lobbyist with close ties to administration legislators, officials and staff who offered bribes as part of his lobbying efforts. Abramoff was sentenced to 4 years in prison.[247][248] See also Georeg W. Bush Legislative Branch for 11 legislators and staff caught in the investigation. Executive Branch personnel involved include;Kyle Foggo (R) CIA Executive Director 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.[260]Julie MacDonald (R) Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Department of the Interior, resigned on May 1, 2007, after giving government documents to developers (2007)[261]Claude Allen (R) appointed as an advisor by President Bush (R) on Domestic Policy, was arrested for a series of felony thefts in retail stores. He was convicted on one count and resigned soon after.[262]Lester Crawford, Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, resigned after two months. He pleaded guilty to conflict of interest and received a 3-year suspended sentence and fined $90,000 (2006)[263]The 2003 Invasion of Iraqdepended 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)[264]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.[265][266]Coalition Provisional AuthorityCash Payment Scandal – On June 20, 2005, the staff of the Committee on Government Reform prepared a report for Congressman Henry Waxman.[267]It was revealed that $12 billion in cash had been delivered to Iraq by C-130 planes, on shrinkwrapped pallets of US$100 bills.[268] 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.[269][270][271]Bush administration payment of columnists were done 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)[272]John A. Shaw (R) was appointed by George W. Bush as Under Secretary of Defense.[273] He was investigated on corruption although charges were never filed against him, he was asked to resign in 2004.[274] When he refused to resign, he was fired by the Bush administration on December 10, 2004.[275][276][277]The 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 November 4, 2009, he pleaded guilty to two counts of tax fraud and five counts of lying to the federal government and was sentenced to four years in prison.[278]Plame affair – 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.[279] Armitage admitted he was the leak[280] 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)[281][282] A few days after the bill was signed, Scully resigned (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)[283] In 2010, Federal Judge Vaughn Walker ruled this practice to be illegal.[284]Janet Rehnquist (daughter of former Chief Justice William Rehnquist) was the 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.[285][286][failed verification][287][287][288][289]John Yoo, an attorney in the Office of Legal Counsel inside the Justice Department who, worked closely with vice president Dick Cheneyand the Bush Six,[290] He wrote memos stating the right of the president to –Carl Truscott (R) Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, was 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.[294][295][296]John David Roy Atchison (R), Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, was arrested for intentions of having sex with a five-year-old. Atchison committed suicide before trial while in custody(2007)[297][298][299]Ken Mehlman (R), Manager of George W. Bush's Campaign for Re-election and Chairman of the Republican National Committee, which had proposed a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, came out in August 2010 and admitted that he was gay.[300] In an interview, journalist Marc Ambinder noted that Mehlman's roles with the RNC and the Bush campaign "coincided with the Republican Party's attempts to exploit anti-gay prejudices and cement the allegiance of social conservatives".[301] Mehlman stated that he deeply regretted his role in the campaign's push for a constitutional amendment that would have banned gay marriage.[302]Legislative BranchEditUS senatorial candidate James W. Treffinger (R-NJ) pleaded 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.[303]Senator Ted Stevens (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.[304]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)[305]Rick Renzi (R-AZ) announced he would not seek another term.[306]* 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)[307]Mark Foley (R-FL) resigned on September 29, 2006, after sending sexually explicit messagesto former Congressional pages.[308]Tom DeLay (R-TX) US Representative 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[309] and was sentenced to three years in prison and 10 years' probation, respectively. The ruling was overturned on appeal.[310] On September 19, 2013, the conviction was overturned.[311]Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal (R) The lobbyist found guilty of conspiracy, tax evasion and corruption of public officials in three different courts in a wide-ranging investigation. He served 70 months and was fined $24.7 million.[312] See George W. bush, Executive Branch for eight others caught in the investigation. Legislators and staff involved include;Cunningham scandal named after Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-CA) US Representative, pleaded guilty on November 28, 2005, to charges of conspiracy to commit bribery, mail fraud, wire fraud and tax evasion. Sentenced to over eight years.[325]Mitchell Wade private contractor and "co-conspirator" with CunninghamKyle Foggo Director of the CIA and friend to Wilkes, convicted of fraudBrent R. Wilkes private contractorTan Nguyen (R-CA) US Representative 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)[326]Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) US Representative, 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)[327]William J. Jefferson (D-LA) US Representative had $90,000 in cash in his home freezer seized by the FBI in August 2005. 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.[328][329]Bill Janklow (R-SD) was convicted of second-degree manslaughter for running a stop sign and killing a motorcyclist. He resigned from the House and was given 100 days in the county jail and three years' probation (2003)[330]Jim Traficant (D-OH) was found guilty on ten felony counts of financial corruption and was sentenced to 8 years in prison and expelled from the House. (2002)[331]John E. Sweeney (R-NY) US Representative from 20th US District, was arrested in 2007 and again in 2009 for DWI. He was sentenced to 23 days in jail with 3 years' probation. (2009)[332][333]Vito Fossella (R-NY) US Representative, 13th District, was arrested for drunk driving. He was found guilty of driving with twice the legal limit and sentenced to 5 days in prison. This led to the revelation that the married congressman had a longtime affair with another woman which had produced a child. He did not run for re-election. (2008)[334][335]Bill Clinton administration (1993–2001)EditExecutive BranchEditPresident Bill Clinton (D) was accused by the House of Representatives and impeachedfor perjury and obstruction of justice for lying under oath about consensual sexual relations with a member of his staff, Monica Lewinsky. Clinton was acquitted by the Senate and remained in office for the rest of his term. Clinton subsequently was cited for contempt of court by the Arkansas Law Association and agreed to a five-year suspension.(1998)[336][337][338]Ronald Blackley (D) Chief of Staff to the Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy, was sentenced to 27 months for perjury. Secretary Espy was found innocent on all counts.[339]David Watkins (D) Director of the Office of Administration used the White House helicopter, Marine One, to fly to a nearby golf course for an afternoon game. Ostensibly to check out security issues, Watkins later admitted it was just to play golf and resigned. (1994)[340]Darleen A. Druyun (D), Principal Deputy United States Under Secretary of the Air Force.[341] She pleaded 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. (2005).[342]CBS News called it "the biggest Pentagon scandal in 20 years" and said that she pleaded guilty to a felony.[343]Catalina Vasquez Villalpando (R) US Treasurer, convicted of obstruction and tax evasion. She was sentenced to 4 months and fined.(1994)[344][345][346]Legislative BranchEditNewt 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[347] leading to his eventual resignation from office. (1997)[348]Barbara-Rose Collins (D-MI) was found to have committed eleven violations of law and house rules stemming from use of campaign funds for personal use.[349]Wes Cooley (R-OR) 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)[350][351]US Representative Dan Burton (R-IN) and a combative critic of the Clinton/Lewinsky affair, admitted that he had fathered a child out of wedlock. (1998)[352]Austin Murphy (D-PA) was convicted of engaging in voter fraud for filling out absentee ballots for members of a nursing home.[353]Nicholas Mavroules (D-MA) pleaded guilty to bribery charges.[354]Bob Packwood (R-OR) was accused of sexual misconduct by nineteen women. He fought the allegations, but eventually, the US Senate Ethics Committee found him guilty of a "pattern of abuse of his position of power and authority" and recommended that he be expelled from the Senate. He resigned on September 7, 1995.[355]Lawrence J. Smith (D-FL) pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion and one count of filing false campaign reports on August 3, 1993. He was sentenced to three months in prison.[356]House banking scandal[357] – 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)[358]Buzz Lukens (R-OH) was convicted of bribery and conspiracy.[359]Carl C. Perkins (D-KY) pleaded guilty to a check-kiting scheme involving several financial institutions (including the House Bank).[359]Carroll Hubbard (D-KY) was convicted of illegally funneling money to his wife's 1992 campaign to succeed him in congress.[360]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.[359]Walter Fauntroy (D-DC) was convicted of filing false disclosure forms in order to hide unauthorized income.[359]Jack Russ, House Sergeant-at-Arms, was convicted of three counts.[359]The Congressional Post Office scandal (1991–1995) was a conspiracy to embezzle House Post Office money through stamps and postal vouchers to congressmen.[361]Dan Rostenkowski (D-IL) was convicted and sentenced to 18 months in prison in 1995.[362]Joe Kolter (D-PA) was convicted of one count of conspiracy[363]and sentenced to 6 months in prison.[364]Postmaster Robert V. Rota was convicted of one count of conspiracy and two counts of embezzlement.[361]Jay C. Kim (R-CA) plea guilty in 1997 to accepting $230,000 in illegal foreign and corporate campaign donations, including one-third of all donations to his initial 1992 campaign for Congress after a long term running FBI Investigation in Los Angeles, CA. At the time, it was a record for campaign violations. Kim was sentenced to House arrest and fined $20,000, and subsequently lost re-election in the 1998 Republican Primary Election for the 41st Congressional District in California. (1997)[365]US Representative Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) was found guilty of failure to properly report campaign contributions and fined. (1996)[366]Rhonda Carmony (R) Campaign Manager and wife of State Representative Dana Rohrabacher (R) was the key instigator of a Republican effort to manipulate the 67th District election by fostering the candidacy of decoy candidate Laurie Campbell (D) to undermine the candidacy of popular Democrat Linda Moulton-Patterson. Carmony pled guilty and was sentenced to three years of probation and 300 hours of community service and was fined. (1996)[367][368]Jack Wenpo Wu (R) Campaign Treasurer for Dana Rohrabacher(R-CA) US Representative, embezzled over $300K. He was repaying the money when he was found guilty and sentenced to 1 year and 5 years probation (2015)[369][370]Enid Greene Mickelsen(Waldholtz) (R) U.S. Representative, was found guilty on four counts of violating FEC rules and paid $100,000 in fines for campaign violations. (1994)[371]Joe Waldholtz (R) Campaign Manager and husband of Enid Greene Waldholtz (R) pled guilty to federal charges of tax, bank, and campaign fraud, embezzling and forgery(1995)[372] and then, while out on parole, was subsequently convicted of forging insurance and Veterans Affairs checks from his stepmother and his late father.[373][374]Hayes Martin (R) Campaign Treasurer to US Representative Charles H. Taylor (R-NC) was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering concerning Taylor's Blue Ridge Saving Bank. Martin was found guilty and sentenced to two years probation. (1993)[375]Charles "Chig" Cagle (R) District Republican Party Chairman for US Representative Charles H. Taylor(R-NC) was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering concerning Taylor's Blue Ridge Saving Bank. Cagle was found guilty and sentenced to two years probation. (1993)[376]George H. W. Bush administration (1989–1993)EditExecutive BranchEditPresident George H. W. Bush (R) denied any knowledge of the Iran–Contra affair during his election campaign by saying he was "out of the loop". His own diaries of that time, though, 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)[377]Catalina Vasquez Villalpando (R), Treasurer of the United States, pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and tax evasion, making her the only US Treasurer ever sent to prison. (1992)[378]Iran-Contra Affair pardons – On December 24, 1992, George H. W. Bush (R) granted clemency to four convicted government officials as well as Caspar Weinberger and Duane Clarridge, whose trials had not yet begun. This action prevented any further investigation into the matter.[379]Caspar Weinberger, Secretary of Defense under Ronald Reagan, pardoned before trial[380]Robert C. McFarlane, National Security Advisor to Ronald Reagan, guilty of withholding information,[380]Elliott Abrams, Assistant Secretary of State to Ronald Reagan, guilty of withholding information,[380]Clair George, CIA Chief of Covert Ops, guilty of perjury[380]Alan D. Fiers, Chief of the CIA's Central American Task Force, guilty of withholding information[380]Duane Clarridge, CIA Operations Officer, pardoned before trial[380]Legislative BranchEditCharles "Chig" Cagle (R) District Chairman for US Representative Charles H. Taylor (R-NC) was found guilty of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering concerning Taylor's Blue Ridge Saving Bank. Martin was sentenced to two years probation. (1993)[376]Albert Bustamante (D-TX) was convicted of accepting bribes.(1993)[381]Lawrence J. Smith (D-FL) pleaded guilty to tax fraud and lying to federal election officials[382] and served three months in jail, fined $5,000, 2 years' probation and back taxes of $40,000.(1993)[383]Senator David Durenberger (R-MN) was denounced by the Senate for unethical financial transactions and then disbarred in 1990. He pleaded guilty to misuse of public funds and was given one year's probation and fined. (1995)[384]Donald E. "Buz" Lukens (R-OH) was convicted of contributing to the delinquency of a minor for having sex with a 16-year-old girl. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail and fined $500. (1989)[385]Judicial BranchEditClarence Thomas (R), Supreme Court nominee, was accused of sexual harassment by eight former employees including Anita Hill, but was approved anyway.[386]Walter Nixon, US Judge, was impeached by the House and convicted by the Senate for perjury on November 3, 1989.[387]Robert Frederick Collins (D) Judge of the US District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana appointed by Jimmy Carter (D). He was charged with obstruction and accepting bribe money in exchange for a light sentence given to a drug dealer. $17,500 in marked bills was found in his chambers. He was sentenced to five years in prison and disbarred. (1991)[388][389][390]Ronald Reagan administration (1981–1989)EditExecutive BranchEditOperation Ill Wind was a three-year investigation launched in 1986 by the FBI into corruption by U.S. government and military officials, as well as private defense contractors.Melvyn Paisley, appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navyin 1981 by Republican President Ronald Reagan,[391] was found to have accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes. He pleaded guilty to bribery, resigned his office and served four years in prison.[392][393]James E. Gaines Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy, took over when Paisley resigned his office.[394] He was convicted of accepting an illegal gratuity, and theft and conversion of government property. He was sentenced to six months in prison.[395]Victor D. Cohen, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, was the 50th conviction obtained under the Ill Wind probe when he pleaded guilty to accepting bribes and conspiring to defraud the government.[396]The Housing and Urban Development scandal concerned bribery by selected contractors for low income housing projects.[397][398]Samuel Pierce, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, was not charged because he made "full and public written acceptance of responsibility".[399]James G. Watt, the Secretary of Interior from 1981–1983, was charged with 25 counts of perjury and obstruction of justice, sentenced to five years' probation, fined $5,000 and 500 hours of community service[400]Deborah Gore Dean (R), Executive Assistant to Samuel Pierce (Secretary of HUD from 1981–1987, and not charged), was convicted of 12 counts of perjury, conspiracy, bribery. Sentenced to 21 months in prison. (1987)[401]Phillip D. Winn, Assistant Secretary of HUD from 1981–1982, pleaded guilty to bribery in 1994.[401]Thomas Demery, Assistant Secretary of HUD, pleaded guilty to bribery and obstruction.[401]Joseph A. Strauss, Special Assistant to the Secretary of HUD, was convicted of accepting payments to favor Puerto Rican land developers in receiving HUD funding.[402][403]Silvio D. DeBartolomeis was convicted of perjury and bribery.[404]Wedtech scandal – Wedtech Corporation was convicted of bribery for Defense Department contracts.Edwin Meese (R) Attorney General resigned, but was never convicted.[405]Lyn Nofziger (R) White House Press Secretary had a conviction of lobbying that was overturned.[406]Mario Biaggi (D-NY) was sentenced to 2½ years in prison.[407]Savings and loan scandal – 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.[408]John M. Fedders (R) SEC Dir of Enforcement, in divorce testimony he admitted beating his wife and then resigned. (1985)[409][410]Emanuel S. Savas, appointed by Ronald Reagan to be Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, resigned on 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.[411][412]Iran-Contra Affair (1985–1986) – In violation of an arms embargo, administration officials arranged to sell armaments to Iran in an attempt to improve relations with Iran and obtain their influence in the release of hostages held in Lebanon. Oliver North of the National Security Council then diverted proceeds from the arms sale to fund Contra rebels attempting to overthrow the left-wing government of Nicaragua, which was in direct violation of Congress' Boland Amendment.[413] 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 (R) Secretary of Defense, was indicted on two counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice on June 16, 1992.[414] Weinberger received a pardon from George H. W. Bush on December 24, 1992, before he was tried.[415]William Casey (R) Director of the CIA is thought to have conceived the plan, but was stricken ill hours before he would testify. Reporter Bob Woodward records that Casey knew of and approved the plan.[416]Robert C. McFarlane National Security Adviser was convicted of withholding evidence, but after a plea bargain was given only two years' probation. Later pardoned by President George H. W. Bush[417]Elliott Abrams (R) Assistant Secretary of State, was convicted of withholding evidence, but after a plea bargain was given only two years' probation. He was later pardoned by President George H. W. Bush[418][419]Alan D. Fiers Chief of the CIA's Central American Task Force, was convicted of withholding evidence and sentenced to one year's probation. Later pardoned by President George H. W. Bush[420]Clair George Chief of Covert Ops-CIA was convicted on two charges of perjury, but was pardoned by President George H. W. Bush before sentencing.[421]Oliver North (R) Deputy Director of the National Security Council, was convicted of accepting an illegal gratuity, obstruction of a congressional inquiry, and destruction of documents, but the convictions were vacated, after the appeals court found that witnesses in his trial might have been impermissibly affected by his immunized congressional testimony.[422]Fawn Hall, Oliver North's secretary, was given immunity from prosecution on charges of conspiracy and destroying documents in exchange for her testimony.[423]John Poindexter (R) National Security Advisor, was convicted of five counts of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, perjury, defrauding the government, and the alteration and destruction of evidence. The Supreme Court overturned this ruling.[424]Duane Clarridge Ex-CIA senior official, was indicted in November 1991 on seven counts of perjury and false statements relating to a November 1985 shipment to Iran. He was pardoned before trial by President George H. W. Bush.[425][426]Richard V. Secord an ex-major general in the Air Force, who organized the Iran arms sales and Contra aid, pleaded guilty in November 1989 to making false statements to Congress. He was sentenced to two years of probation.[427][428]Albert Hakim Businessman, pleaded 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.[427][429]Thomas G. Clines a former intelligence official, who became an arms dealer, was convicted in September 1990 on four income tax counts, including under-reporting of income to the IRS and lying about not having foreign accounts. He was sentenced to 16 months of prison and fined $40,000.[427][430]Carl R. Channell (R) a fund-raiser for conservative causes, pleaded guilty in April 1987 to defrauding the IRS via a tax-exempt organization to fund the Contras.[431] He was sentenced to two years' probation.[427][432]Richard R. Miller associate to Carl R. Channell, pleaded guilty in May 1987 to defrauding the IRS via a tax-exempt organization led by Channell. More precisely, he pleaded guilty to lying to the IRS about the deductibility of donations to the organization. Some of the donations were used to fund the Contras.[433] Sentenced to two years of probation and 120 hours of community service.[427]Joseph F. Fernandez CIA Station Chief of Costa Rica, was indicted on five counts in 1988.[434] The case was dismissed when Attorney General Dick Thornburghrefused to declassify information needed for his defense in 1990.[435]Michael Deaver (R) Deputy Chief of Staff to Ronald Reagan from 1981–1985, pleaded guilty to perjury related to lobbying activities and was sentenced to three years' probation and fined $100,000.[436]Sewergate was a scandal in which funds from the EPA were selectively used for projects which would aid politicians friendly to the Reagan administration.Anne Gorsuch, the Burford Head of the EPA, cut the EPA staff by 22% and refused to turn over documents to Congress citing "executive privilege",[437]whereupon she was found in Contempt and resigned with twenty of her top employees. (1980)[438]Rita Lavelle, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, misused "superfund" monies and was convicted of perjury. She served six months in prison, was fined $10,000 and given five years' probation.[439]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 was to approve a report detailing waste, fraud, and abuse at his agency.[440]Fred J. Villella, Deputy Director at Federal Emergency Management Agency, had more than $70,000 in renovations made to part of a dormitory at an agency training center in Maryland for use as a residence, including an $11,000 stove, wet bar, microwave oven, fireplace and cherrywood cabinets. Villella accepted free tickets to the same Republican fund-raisers as Giuffrida and also was accused of sexually harassing a FEMA security guard he also used for private errands. He resigned in 1984. (1984)[441][442][443]J. Lynn Helms was appointed head of the Federal Aviation Administration by Ronald Reaganin 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.[444][445]Veterans administration Chief Bob Nimmo was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1981. He resigned one year later just before a General Accounting Office report criticized him for improper such use of government funds. (1982)[441][446]John Fedders was appointed chief of enforcement for the Securities and Exchange Commission by President Ronald Reagan.[447] He was asked to resign his position after divorce proceedings, during which he admitted beating his wife.[448][449]Peter Voss (R) was appointed to the US Postal Service Board of Governors in 1982 by President Ronald Reagan. He was sentenced to four years in federal prison and fined $11,000 for theft and accepting payoffs. He resigned his office in 1986, when he pleaded guilty.[450][451]Carlos Campbell (R) Asst Sec of Commerce to the EDA, he was accused of favoritism in awarding grants and being over zealous. Before an investigation could start he resigned. (1983)[452][453]Jim Petro (R), U.S. Attorney appointed by President Ronald Reagan, was dismissed and fined for tipping off an acquaintance about an ongoing Secret Service investigation. (1984)[454][455]William H. Kennedy, United States Attorney in San Diego, was dismissed by President Reagan after he mentioned that the CIA was involved in a smuggling case. (1982)[456][457][458]Marjory Mecklenburg (R) Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Resources used travel funds to see her son's Denver Bronco games. She resigned(1985)[459][460]Guy W. Fiske (R) Deputy Secretary of Commerce, after allegations of a conflict of interest in contract negotiations with satellite communications company Comsat, resigned. (1983)[461][462][463]Legislative BranchEditMark Hatfield (R-OR) US Senator and US Appropriations Chairman, revealed that his wife had been paid $55,000 by Greek arms dealer Basil Tsakos, who had been lobbying for a trans-African pipeline. (1984)[464][465][466][467]David Durenberger (R-MN) Senator was denounced by the Senate for unethical financial transactions (1990) and then disbarred as an attorney.[468] In 1995, he pled guilty to 5 misdemeanor counts of misuse of public funds and was given one year's probation.[469]Jesse Helms (R-NC) Senator and 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)[470]Barney Frank (D-MA) US Representative, 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)[471]Donald E. "Buz" Lukens (R-OH) was convicted of two counts of bribery and conspiracy. (1996)[472](See also sex scandal.)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)[473]Jim Wright (D-TX) US Representative and house Speaker, resigned after an ethics investigation led by Newt Gingrich alleged improper receipt of $145,000 in gifts (1989)[474]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.[475] The five were investigated by the Senate Ethics Committee which found that:Senator Alan Cranston (D-CA) was reprimanded.[476]Senator Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ) acted improperly.[477]Senator Don Riegle (D-MI) acted improperly.[477]Senator John Glenn (D-OH) used poor judgment.[477]Senator John McCain (R-AZ) used poor judgment.[477]Abscam was an FBI sting involving fake "Arabs" trying to bribe 31 congressmen. (1980)[478] The following six Congressmen were convicted:Senator Harrison A. Williams (D-NJ) was convicted on nine counts of bribery and conspiracy, and was sentenced to three years in prison.[479]Representative John Jenrette(D-SC) was sentenced to two years in prison for bribery and conspiracy.[480]Richard Kelly (R-FL) accepted $25K and then claimed he was conducting his own investigation into corruption. Served 13 months.[481]Raymond Lederer (D-PA) said that "I can give you me" after accepting $50,000. He was sentenced to three years in prison.[482]Michael Myers (D-PA) accepted $50,000, saying "... money talks and bullshit walks." He was sentenced to three years in prison and was expelled from the House.[483]Frank Thompson (D-NJ) was sentenced to three years in prison.[484]John M. Murphy (D-NY) served 20 months of a three-year sentence.[485]Also arrested were NJ State Senator Angelo Errichetti(D)[486] and members of the Philadelphia City Council.Mario Biaggi (D-NY) was part of the Wedtech scandal and was convicted of obstruction of justice accepting illegal gratuities, obstruction and bribery. He was Sentenced to eight years in prison and fined $500,000.(1988)[487][488]Pat Swindall (R-GA) was convicted of six counts of perjury. (1989)[489][490]George V. Hansen (R-ID) was censured for failing to file out disclosure forms. He spent fifteen months in prison.[491]Frederick W. Richmond (D-NY) was convicted of tax evasion and possession of marijuana. He served nine months in prison. (1982)[492]Joshua Eilberg (D-PA) pleaded guilty to conflict-of-interest charges. In addition, he convinced President Jimmy Carter (D) to fire the U.S. Attorney investigating his case.[493]Robert E. Bauman (R-MD) was charged with soliciting sex from a teenage boy. Counseling was ordered, but he lost his next two elections. (1980)[494][495]Judicial BranchEditFederal District Court Judge Alcee Hastings (D-FL) was impeached by the House and convicted by the Senate of soliciting a bribe. (1989)[496]Federal District Court Judge Harry Claiborne (D-NV) was impeached by the House and convicted by the Senate on two counts of tax evasion. He served over one year in prison.[497]J. William Petro (R) U.S. Attorney in Ohio, was found guilty of criminal contempt of court for leaking confidential information. He was removed from office. (1985)[498]Walter Nixon (D) US Judge for the Southern District of Mississippi, was accused of asking a local DA to stop prosecuting the son of a donor to Richard Nixon. He was found guilty of perjury and sentenced to five years in prison. Still a US Judge while imprisoned, he was impeached by the House and convicted by the Senate of perjury and removed from office. (1983)James E. Carter administration (1977–1981)EditExecutive BranchEditDebategate – An election briefing book for President Jimmy Carterwas stolen and given to opponent Ronald Reagan before the presidential election of 1980[503]Legislative branchEditDaniel J. Flood (D-PA) was censured for bribery during the 96th United States Congress. The allegations led to his resignation on January 31, 1980.[504]US Representative J. Herbert Burke (R-FL) pleaded guilty to disorderly intoxication and resisting arrest, and nolo contendere to an additional charge of witness tampering. He was sentenced to three months plus fines. (1978)[505]US Representative Robert E. Bauman (R-MD) was charged with soliciting sex from a teenage boy in gay bar. After counseling, the charges were dropped, but he lost his next two elections. (1980)[494][495]Fred Richmond (D-NY) received charges of soliciting sex from a 16-year-old boy were dropped after he submitted to counseling. (1978)[506]Charles Diggs (D-MI) was 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)[507]Senator Herman Talmadge (D-GA) was denounced by the Senate for "improper financial conduct" on October 11, 1979. He failed to be re-elected.[508]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.[509]Charles H. Wilson (D-CA) was 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.[510]John Connally (R-TX) was accused of accepting a $10,000 bribe (Milk Money scandal). He was acquitted. (1975)[511]Richard Tonry (D-LA) pleaded guilty to receiving illegal campaign contributions.[512]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.[513] The most notable are:Richard T. Hanna (D-CA) pleaded guilty[514] and sentenced to 6–30 months in federal prison.[515] Wound up serving a year in prison.[516]John J. McFall, Edward Roybal, and Charles H. Wilson, all (D-CA), were involved. Roybal was censured and Wilson was reprimanded,[517] while McFall was reprimanded,[518]JudicialEditHerbert Allan Fogel (R) Federal Judge of the Eastern Federal District of Pennsylvania (1973–1978), and nominated by Richard M. Nixon, resigned after investigation of a government contract in which he was forced to invoke the 5th Amendment. (1978)[519][520]Jack T. Camp (R) Federal Judge, Northern District of GA, appointed by Roanld Reagan, guilty of trying to purchase cocaine, firearms violations, aiding a felon. Resigned. Sentenced to 30 days. (2010)[521][522]Gerald Ford administration (1974–1977)EditExecutive BranchEditSecretary of Agriculture Earl Butz(R) was 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 afterwards on October 4, 1976.[523]Legislative BranchEditCongressman Andrew J. Hinshaw(R-CA) was convicted of accepting bribes while Assessor of Orange County. He served one year in prison. (1977)[524]Wayne L. Hays (D-OH) resigned from Congress after hiring and promoting his mistress, Elizabeth Ray. (1976)[525]Frank Horton (R-NY) pleaded guilty to a DWI (arrested at 105 mph with two women; neither were his wife) and was sentenced to 11 days in jail. (1976)[526][527]James F. Hastings (R-NY) was convicted of taking kickbacks from his staff and mail fraud. He took the money from his employees and used it to buy cars, boats, school tuition and retirement. Served 14 months at Allenwood penitentiary. (1976)[528]James R. Jones (D-OK) US Rep, plead guilty to a federal misdemeanor charge that he had failed to report a 1972 campaign contribution from Gulf Oil. (1976)[529]* Bob Sikes (D-FL) was reprimanded for conflict of interest in failing to disclose stock holdings.[510]John V. Dowdy (D-TX) served 6 months in prison for perjury. (1973)[530]Bertram Podell (D-NY) pleaded guilty to conspiracy and conflict of interest. He was fined $5,000 and served four months in prison. (1974)[531]Frank Brasco (D-NY) was 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.[493]Frank Clark (D-PA) paid congressional salaries to 13 Pennsylvania residents who performed no official duties.[493]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.[532]JudicialEditOtto Kerner (D) US Judge of the 7th Circuit Court and former Illinois Governor, was appointed by Lyndon Johnson and indicted on charges of conspiracy, bribery, mail fraud, and income tax evasion related to accepting stock shares from a racing company and lying about it. He was convicted and resigned his position. (1974)[533][534]Richard M. Nixon administration (1969–1974)EditExecutive BranchEditVice President Spiro Agnew (R-MD) was convicted of tax fraud stemming from bribery charges in Maryland and forced to resign.[535]Gerald R. Ford (R-MI) was nominated by Nixon to replace Agnew as Vice President (the first person appointed to the Vice Presidency under the terms of the 25th Amendment).Bebe Rebozo (R)[536] was investigated for accepting large contribution to Nixon's campaign. No charges were filed. (1973)[537]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.[538] Those involved include:John N. Mitchell (R) Attorney General of the United States, was convicted of perjury and served nineteen months of a one- to four-year sentence.[539]Richard Kleindienst (R) Attorney General that replaced Mitchell, was convicted of "refusing to answer questions" given one month in jail.[540]Jeb Stuart Magruder (R) Head of Committee to Re-elect the President, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, August 1973[541]Frederick C. LaRue (R) Advisor to John Mitchell, was convicted of obstruction of justice.[541]H. R. Haldeman (R) CoS for Nixon, was convicted of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and perjury.[542]John Ehrlichman (R) Counsel to Nixon, was convicted of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and perjury.[543]Egil Krogh (R) aide to John Ehrlichman, was sentenced to six years.[541][544][545]John W. Dean III (R) counsel to Nixon, was convicted for obstruction of justice.[541]Dwight L. Chapin (R) deputy assistant to Nixon, was convicted of perjury.[541]Herbert W. Kalmbach (R) personal attorney to Nixon, was convicted of illegal campaigning.[541]Charles W. Colson (R) special counsel to Nixon, was convicted for obstruction of justice.[540]Herbert L. Porter (R) aide to the Committee to Re-elect the President, was convicted of perjury.[541]G. Gordon Liddy (R) Special Investigations Group, was convicted of burglary.[541]Maurice Stans (R) Secretary of Commerce, pleaded guilty to 3 counts of violating the reporting sections of the Federal Election Campaign Act and 2 counts of accepting illegal campaign contributions and was fined $5,000. (1975)[546]G. Bradford Cook (R) was appointed by President Nixon to be Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He resigned his position during the investigation into the Robert Vesco/Watergate affair during which he allegedly lied to a grand jury and was disbarred by the US Supreme Court for three years. He had served as Chairman for just 74 days. (1973)[547][548] The Washington Star reported that Cook believed he was going to be impeached, and offered to resign. The White House allowed him to do so.[549]Operation Townhouse was established by H. R. Haldeman (R) Nixon's Chief of Staff, to set up a secret fund-raising enterprise, the "Townhouse Operation", designed to bypass the Republican National Committee. (1970)[550][551]Harry Shuler Dent (R) Presidential Counsel and Strategist, pleaded guilty to violations of Federal election law for his part in the illegal fundraising operation.[552]Herbert W. Kalmbach (R) Nixon's Personal Attorney, raised $3.9 million for a secret Republican slush fund.[553] He also promised an ambassador a better post in exchange for $100,000, which led to conviction and imprisonment.[554] Kalmbach pleaded guilty to violation of the Federal Corrupt Practices Act and one count of promising federal employment.[555]White House Aide Jack A. Gleason (R) pleaded guilty to violations of Federal election law concerning an illegal fund raising operation run by the White House.[556]Richard Helms, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (1966–1973), was convicted of misleading Congress concerning assassination attempts in Cuba, anti-government activities in Chile and the illegal surveillance of journalists in the US. Mr. Helms pleaded no contest.[557][558]Donald Segretti (R) ran a campaign of dirty tricks for Nixon which he dubbed "ratfucking", which meant forging and distributing documents to embarrass Democrats. Segretti pled guilty to 3 counts of distributing illegal (forged) campaign literature and was sentenced to 6 months in prison. (1974)[559][560]Legislative BranchEditSenator Ted Kennedy (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.[561] (1969)Cornelius Gallagher (D-NJ) pleaded guilty to tax evasion, and served two years in prison.[562]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.[493]Martin B. McKneally (R-NY) was placed on one year's probation and fined $5,000 in 1971 for failing to file income tax return. He had not paid taxes for many years prior.[563]Richard T. Hanna (D-CA) was convicted in an influence-buying scandal. (1974)[564]Edwin Reinecke (R-CA) was convicted of perjury and sentenced to 18 months in prison as part of the Watergate investigation. He resigned one day before his sentencing, which was overturned on appeal because "the Senate Judiciary Committee before which he was accused of perjuring himself had failed to publish its rule permitting a one-man quorum."[565][566]US Representative William Oswald Mills (R-MD) had received an undisclosed $25,000 gift from the Finance Committee of President Richard Nixon's re-election campaign (CREEP), which was part of $900,000 in unaccounted donations made by that committee in May 1973. Five days later, he committed suicide. (1973)[567][568][569]US Representative George V. Hansen (R-ID) was the first member of Congress to be convicted of violating a new 1971 campaign law requiring disclosure of financial contributions. (1974)[570][571]James R. Jones (D-OK) US Representative, plead guilty to a federal misdemeanor charge that he had failed to report a $200 campaign contribution. He was fined $200. (1972)[529]Judicial BranchEditJudge Harrold Carswell (R) was nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court in 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 and opposed his nomination and contributed to his defeat.[572] Roman Hruska(Republican, Nebraska) stated:Herbert Allan Fogel (R) US Judge of Eastern District of PA (1973–1978) resigned after investigations of a government contract started, during which he was forced to invoke the 5th Amendment multiple times. (1978)[575][576]Lyndon B. Johnson administration (1963–1969)EditExecutive BranchEditBobby 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)[577]Legislative BranchEditSenator Daniel Brewster (D-MD) pleaded no contest to accepting an illegal gratuity in 1975 and fined $10,000.[578][page needed][579]Brewster was convicted in 1972 of accepting $14,500 from a lobbyist,[580] and was handed a six-year prison term in 1973 over the conviction,[581] but the conviction was overturned on grounds of unclear jury instructions.[582]Congressman Lawrence J. Smith(D-FL) pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion and one count of filing false campaign reports on August 3, 1993. He was sentenced to three months in prison.[356]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).[528]Judicial BranchEditU.S. Supreme Court Justice Abe Fortas (D) resigned when he was discovered to be a paid consultant to a convicted criminal. No charges were ever filed. (1969)[583][533]John F. Kennedy administration (1961–1963)EditLegislative BranchEditThomas F. Johnson (D-MD) was indicted on charges of members of Maryland's S&L industry bribing him and lost his seat in 1962. Later was convicted of conspiracy and conflict of interest in 1968, served 3½ months of a 6-month sentence and was fined $5,000.[584]Frank W. 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.[585][586]Dwight D. Eisenhower administration (1953–1961)EditThis is before my time.