In the 1870s and 80s the nation was embroiled in a sensational scandal. Corrupt politicians, post office officials and others conspired to defraud the United States Post Office out of millions of dollars. It was only under the watchful eye of newly elected President James Garfield that an in-depth investigation began.

My guest is Shawn Francis Peters, author of "When Bad Men Combine: The Star Route Scandal and the Twilight of Gilded Age Politics." He not only explains the graft and its consequences, but also shares his thoughts about the theory that Garfield's assassination was in fact connected to the scandal.

More about the book here: https://lsupress.org/books/detail/when-bad-men-combine/

If you haven't done so already, listen to my prior conversation with Shawn about Gilded-Age murderer Harry Hayward at Minnesota's Most Notorious: Where Blood Runs Cold.

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