Political Scandals

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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