The scandals and investigations just keep on coming.
Some years ago, I posted a list of Democratic scandals with the intention of showing that this
sort of behavior isn't limited to just the party currently in power.
So now, here's a list of Republican scandals. The source of much of this list is
politicalgraveyard.com. Other sources are the Wikipedia, and search engines. Some of this
information may be inaccurate. I encourage you to let me know about errors.
This list isn't intended to give the impression that there are more crooked Republicans than
Democrats. Unfortunately, both sides have their share of unsavory characters.
And this isn't intended to be a numbers game. The list could be longer, could be shorter, this list
is not meant to represent all scandals, or the most important scandals. It's just a list of scandals
involving Republicans.
So here's a listing of some Republicans who have gotten themselves in trouble over the years.
Jack A. Abramoff (b. 1958) — Abramoff was a top lobbyist for the Preston Gates & Ellis and
Greenberg Traurig firms and a director of the National Center for Public Policy Research, a
conservative think tank, and Toward Tradition, a religious right organization, during his criminal
enterprise. He was College Republican National Committee National Chairman from 1981 to
1985. He was a founding member of the International Freedom Foundation, an "anti-communist
think tank" which operated from 1986 to 1993.
Abramoff pled guilty in early 2006 to three felony counts related to defrauding American Indian
tribes and corruption of public officials. Later, in another case, he pled guilty to two criminal
felony counts in a Miami federal court related to fraudulent dealings with SunCruz Casinos. On
March 29, 2006, he was sentenced to five years and 10 months in prison — the minimum
allowed per the plea bargain — and ordered then to pay restitution of more than $21 million.
Abramoff is currently free in order to testify in a related investigation involving the Florida
gang-style murder of SunCruz Casinos owner Konstantinos Boulis and to continue cooperation
with investigations related to federal lobbying and related activities.
Abramoff is alleged to have close ties to the Bush White House. A report from the Republicanled House Government Affairs Committee stated that Abramoff had as many as 485 contacts
with the White House, and prime among his lobbying targets was former White House political
director Ken Mehlman, and Bush's adviser Karl Rove.
Sherman Adams (1899-1986) — also known as "The Abominable No Man"; "The Great Stone
Face" Adams was forced to resign in 1958 as aide to President Dwight D. Eisenhower, following
disclosure of his acceptance of gifts from a Boston businessman seeking preferred treatment
from federal agencies.
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Spiro Agnew (1918-1996)(R-Vice President) — On October 10, 1973, Agnew became the first
Vice President to resign the office because of criminal misconduct. Agnew resigned and then
pleaded nolo contendere (no contest) to criminal charges of tax evasion and money laundering,
part of a negotiated resolution to a scheme wherein he allegedly accepted $29,500 in bribes
during his tenure as governor of Maryland. Agnew was fined $10,000 and put on three years
probation. He was later disbarred by the State of Maryland.
Claude Alexander Allen (b. 1960) — was the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy in
George Bush's White house and a former nominee for a judgeship on the United States Court of
Appeals for the Fourth District. Allen was appointed to his White House position in January
2005. Allen resigned February 9, 2006 stating he wanted to spend more time with his family. It
was later reported that he had been detained by retail store security guards on January 2, 2006
and subsequently arrested by local authorities on March 9, 2006 on charges of "theft over $500"
and "felony theft scheme", allegedly claiming retail store refunds to which he was not entitled.
Allen was earning $161,000 per year in his federal job at the time of his shoplifting arrest.
Oakes Ames (1804 -1873) — was an American manufacturer, capitalist, and member of the
United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts. As a congressman, he is credited by
many historians as being the single most important influence in the building of the Union Pacific
portion of the transcontinental railroad. He is also noted for the subsequent scandal that alleged
the improper sale of stock of the railroad's construction company.
Eric Gordon Andell (b. 1946) — Deputy Undersecretary in charge of the Office of Safe and
Drug-Free Schools. Pleaded guilty in April 2005 of one count of conflict of interest in
connection with his use of government travel for personal use. Andell has agreed to pay
$8,659.85 to reimburse the government for his fraudulent expenses. Andell was a former Texas
judge. (Source)
Tom Anderson (b. 1967) — Anderson is a former Alaska state representative. On December 6,
2006, Anderson was indicted by a federal grand jury on seven felony counts of extortion,
bribery, conspiracy, and money laundering involving allegations that he took bribes of nearly
$13,000 in return for using his official position as a legislator to advocate for private prisons.
Anderson's trial began on June 25, 2007 in U.S. District Court in Anchorage and went to the jury
on July 6. On July 9, 2007, Anderson was found guilty of all seven felony counts. In response to
the guilty verdict Anderson claimed that "the prosecution has criminalized being a legislator,"
and said he would appeal his conviction. Sentencing was scheduled for October 2, 2007.
Robert B. Asher (b. ) — of Pennsylvania. Republican. Pennsylvania Republican state chair,
1985. Along with state treasurer R. Budd Dwyer, was convicted in federal court on bribery and
conspiracy charges. Asher is currently co-owner of a chocolate company and is a major
Pennsylvania Republican fund raiser.
On 11-26-07, Asher played host to former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani at a fund raiser,
despite the Giuliani campaign's public efforts to distance itself from the man.
Martin G. Barnes (born c.1949) — Mayor of Paterson, N.J., 1997-2002; defeated, 2002.
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Indicted in 2002 on 40 counts of extortion, bribery, and mail fraud; pleaded guilty to two counts;
sentenced to 37 months in prison.
Robert Edmund Bauman (b. 1937) — Member of Maryland state senate, 1971-72; U.S.
Representative from Maryland 1st District, 1973-81; defeated, 1980. Member, Young Americans
for Freedom. Pleaded guilty in 1980 to a sex-solicitation charge.
Parker J. Bena (b.1963) — Presidential Elector for Virginia, 2000. Pleaded guilty in 2001 to
possession of child pornography on his home computer; sentenced to 30 months in federal prison
and fined $18,000.
John G. Berry (b. 1838) — Member of Michigan state senate 27th District, 1889-90; Michigan
land commissioner, 1893-94; defeated, 1890; removed 1894. Removed from office as land
commissioner, March 20, 1894.
Hiram Bingham (1875-1956) — Censured by the U.S. Senate on November 4, 1929, for
employing a paid lobbyist as his chief clerk.
Charles E. Bowles (1884-1957) — Recalled from office as Mayor in 1930 over charges that he
had sold out to gangsters and the Ku Klux Klan.
Walter Ellsworth Brehm (1892-1971) — Convicted in 1950 for accepting illegal campaign
contributions.
Arthur Brown (1843 -1906) — Brown was a United States Senator from Utah. Brown was
elected to the U.S. Senate and served from January 22, 1896 until March 3, 1897. He was not a
candidate for renomination and resumed the practice of law in Salt Lake City.
On December 8, 1906, Brown was shot in Washington, D.C. by his longtime mistress, Anne
Maddison Bradley, who claimed to be the mother of his children. Bradley found letters to Brown
from Annie Adams Kiskadden (mother of actress Maude Adams), and assumed he was having a
second affair. Brown died from his wounds four days later.
J. Herbert Burke (1913-1993) — Arrested in 1978 for being drunk and disruptive in the
parking lot of a strip club; pleaded guilty to public drunkenness, disorderly conduct and witness
tampering.
David Christy Butler (1829-1891) — Impeached on March 4, 1871, and removed from office
on June 2, 1871; member of University of Nebraska board of regents, 1869-71.
Miles M. Callaghan (b. 1868) — Pleaded guilty in 1944 to accepting bribes, and testified
against other legislators.
Schuyler Colfax (1823-1885)(R- Vice President) Colfax was an unsuccessful candidate for
renomination in 1872 owing to charges of corruption in connection with the Crédit Mobilier of
America scandal.
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Charles Colson (b. 1931) — former White House counsel specializing in political affairs;
pleaded nolo contendere on June 3, 1974 to one charge of obstruction of justice; he was
sentenced to 1 to 3 years of prison and fined $5,000; Colson served seven months
Daniel Bever Crane (b. 1936) — Censured by the House of Representatives in 1983 for having
sexual relations with a teenage House page in 1980.
Lester M. Crawford (b. 1939) — Former chief of the Food and Drug Administration in the
Bush Administration, was charged with conflict of interest and lying about stock he and his wife
owned in companies the agency regulates. He is expected to plead guilty on October 17, 2006 to
two misdemeanor counts that each carry a one year sentence. He is not expected to do any jail
time.
Randy “Duke” Cunningham — In 2006, Cunningham admitted taking $US2.4 million in
homes, yachts and other bribes, mostly from defense contractors in exchange for shepherding
government contracts their way. He's now serving eight years in jail.
Edmund Jackson Davis (1827-1883) — After his defeat as Governor, he refused to give up the
office, and barricaded himself in the state capitol.
Tom DeLay (b.1947) — In 2005, a Texas grand jury indicted DeLay on criminal charges that he
had conspired to violate campaign finance laws during that period. DeLay denied the charges,
saying that Democratic District Attorney Ronnie Earle's actions were motivated by partisanship,
but Republican Conference rules nonetheless forced DeLay to resign temporarily from his
position as Majority Leader. In January 2006, under pressure from fellow Republicans, DeLay
announced that he would not seek to return to the position. (Source)
Charles Coles Diggs, Sr. (1894-1967) — Convicted in 1944 of accepting bribes, and sentenced
to prison.
Stephen Wallace Dorsey (1842-1916) — Indicted in 1881 for his participation in the Star Route
frauds against the U.S. Post Office Department; tried twice in 1882-83 and ultimately acquitted.
John L. Duvall (1874-1962) — Convicted in 1927 of violating the state corrupt practices act by
taking bribes from Ku Klux Klan leader D. C. Stephenson; sentenced to 30 days in jail, fined
$1,000, and forced to resign as mayor.
R. Budd Dwyer (1939-1987) — Pennsylvania State Treasurer was convicted of engineering a $6
million dollar no-bid contract with Computer Technology Associates to recover Social Security
payments. Committed suicide by shooting himself in the mouth with a handgun during a
televised press conference.
John Ehrlichman (1925-1999) — former assistant to Nixon in charge of domestic affairs; faced
a maximum of 25 years in prison and $40,000 in fines. Ehrlichman was convicted of conspiracy,
obstruction of justice, perjury and other charges; he served 18 months in prison.
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Mark W. Everson (b. 1954) — Head of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) under President
Bush, and former Reagan administration official. Everson was dismissed from his post as the
president and chief executive officer of the American Red Cross by the Board of Directors on
11-27-07 after only six months on the job because of an "inappropriate relationship with a
subordinate employee."
Albert Bacon Fall (1861-1944) — U.S. Secretary of the Interior, 1921-23. Convicted of bribery
in 1929 for his role in the Teapot Dome oil lease scandal; served one year in prison.
Charles Finley (1865-1941) — Republican. Member of Kentucky state house of representatives,
1894; secretary of state of Kentucky, 1896-1900; U.S. Representative from Kentucky 11th
District, 1930-33. Among those charged in 1900 with the murder of Gov. William J. Goebel;
pardoned in 1909.
Rep. Mark Foley (b. 1954) — Foley resigned from Congress on September 29, 2006, effective
immediately. Foley resigned after it became public that he had sent sexually explicit instant
messages to underage former Congressional pages.
Dennis P. Gallagher (b.1964) — On August 3, 2007, City Councilman Dennis Gallagher was
indicted by a Queens grand jury on charges of raping a 52 year old woman in his Middle Village
office in July. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Queens Republican Party
Hiram C. Gill (1866-1919) — Recalled from office as mayor in 1911 over his permissive
attitude toward gambling and prostitution.
Newton Leroy Gingrich (b. 1943) — Speaker of the U.S. House, 1995-99. Reprimanded in
1997 by the House of Representatives, and fined $300,000, over false statements he had made
during an investigation of his use of tax-exempt organizations for partisan advocacy.
Philip A. Giordano (born c.1963) — In 2001, he was arrested and charged with sexual assault
on two preteen girls; convicted in federal court, in March 2003, of violating their civil rights, and
sentenced, in June 2003, to 37 years in prison.
Frank Porter Glazier (1862-1922) — Forced to resign as state treasurer; convicted of
embezzlement; served two years in prison; pardoned.
Porter Johnston Goss (b. 1938) — U.S. Congressman, Florida 14th District and long time
House Intelligence Committee chairman. Coauthor of the PATRIOT Act.
Goss appointed as CIA Director on September 24, 2004.
"It is true I was in CIA from approximately the late 50's to approximately the early 70's. And it's
true I was a case officer, clandestine services office and yes I do understand the core mission of
the business. I couldn't get a job with CIA today. I am not qualified. I don't have the language
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skills. I, you know, my language skills were romance languages and stuff. We're looking for
Arabists today. I don't have the cultural background probably. And I certainly don't have the
technical skills, uh, as my children remind me every day, 'Dad you got to get better on your
computer.' Uh, so, the things that you need to have, I don't have." (2004 - Michael Moore
Interview)
Goss resigned as DCI on May 5, 2006.
William Green (1880-1956) — Indicted in 1943 for bribery; the case collapsed when the star
witness, Sen. Warren G. Hooper was murdered.
Nelson G. Gross (c.1932-1997) — Convicted in 1974 of campaign violations involving the 1969
campaign of Gov. William T. Cahill, and spent six months in jail. Kidnapped and murdered in
September, 1997.
James Steven Griles (b. 1947) — Deputy Secretary for the U.S. Department of Interior from
July 12, 2001, until his resignation on Dec. 7, 2004. On March 23, 2007, Griles pleaded guilty to
obstruction of justice in the Senate investigation of the Abramoff scandal.
Alberto Gutman (b. 1959) — In 1999, he was indicted along with his wife and 23 on charges of
Medicaid fraud and conspiracy; pleaded guilty to felony conspiracy charges that he helped set up
home health care companies that never did any legitimate business, got names of purported
patients from voter lists, and received over $800,000 in Medicare payments; resigned from the
Florida Senate as part of the plea bargain; sentenced in 2000 to five years in prison, fined, and
ordered to pay restitution.
H. R. Haldeman (1926-1993) — White House chief of staff, considered the second most
powerful man in the government during Nixon's first term; faced a maximum of 25 years in
prison and $16,000 in fines; in 1975, he was convicted of conspiracy and obstruction of justice,
and sentenced to an 18-month prison sentence.
George Vernon Hansen (b. 1930) — Convicted in 1984 of failing to include four transactions
on federal disclosure forms; sentenced to 15 months in prison and fined $40,000; reprimanded by
the U.S. House; his conviction was reversed in 1995.
William Lloyd Harding (1877-1934) — Governor of Iowa. Censured by legislature over
pardons scandal, and left office in disgrace in 1921.
Dennis Hastert (b.1942) ― Former U.S. House Speaker. On May 28, 2015, Hastert was
indicted on federal charges, for evading the requirement that banks report cash transactions over
$10,000, and making false statements to the FBI about his withdrawals.
Harold Giles Hoffman (1896-1954) — Suspended in 1954 as head of the New Jersey
unemployment compensation system for an investigation of financial irregularities.
Subsequently, when he died, his written confession of embezzlement schemes was disclosed.
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Warren Green Hooper (1904-1945) — Michigan state representative. During a grand jury
investigation, admitted to taking bribes and agreed to testify against others; however, before that
could happen, he was shot and killed in his car, alongside highway M-99, near Springport,
Jackson County, Mich., January 11, 1945.
Harold Guy Hunt (b. 1933) — Alabama Governor. Convicted in 1993 of misusing campaign
and inaugural funds to pay personal debts, and removed from office as Governor.
David Jaye (b. 1958) — Michigan state representative. Convicted of drunk driving in 1993, and
sentenced to 10 days in jail; pleaded guilty to drunk driving in June 2000, and sentenced to 45
days in jail. Expelled from the Michigan state senate.
Richard Kelly (b. 1924) — Implicated in the Abscam sting, in which FBI agents impersonating
Arab businessmen offered bribes to political figures; indicted June 13, 1980, and convicted
January 26, 1981, on charges of bribery, conspiracy, and interstate travel to further illegal
activities; the conviction was overturned on appeal, then reinstated.
Bernard B. Kerik (b.1955) — Kerik is a former New York Police Commissioner and business
associate of former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who was nominated by the Bush
Administration to be Homeland Security Director.
In December, 2004, Kerik withdrew from the nomination process. Kerik was allegedly involved
in an extramarital affair with an corrections employee and New York book publisher, Judith
Regan. In addition, he had ties to a construction company with connections to the mob. He had
accepted thousands of dollars in cash and gifts without proper disclosure, and had a conflict
interest due to business ties with a stun gun manufacturer that had contracts with the Department
of Homeland Security. He also had an arrest warrant over a 1998 civil dispute.
None of these issues, however, got him disqualified by the Bush Administration. He was
disqualified because he employed an illegal alien nanny and failed to pay her social security
taxes.
Jay C. Kim (b. 1939) — U.S. Representative from California. Pleaded guilty in 1997 to a
misdemeanor charge of accepting more than $250,000 in illegal campaign contributions;
sentenced to two months of home detention.
Richard Gordon Kleindienst (1923-2000) — U.S. Attorney General 1972-1973. Pleaded guilty
in 1974 to failing to testify fully in Senate investigation of favoritism toward ITT Corporation;
the sentence was suspended. Tried and found not guilty of perjury in 1981, but his license to
practice law was suspended for a year.
Pete Kott (b. 1949) — Kott is a former Alaska state representative who served for seven terms,
from 1993 until 2007. He was Speaker of the House during his sixth term in 2003-2004. On May
4, 2007, Kott was one of three former or current legislators (the others being Bruce Weyhrauch
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(R-Juneau) and Vic Kohring (R-Wasilla)) arrested and charged with bribery, extortion, and other
corruption-related charges involving allegations of soliciting and receiving money and favors
from VECO Corporation executives in return for their votes on an oil tax law favored by the
VECO. Kott has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Albert Lange (1801-1869) — U.S. Consul in Amsterdam, 1849-50; Indiana state auditor, 186163; mayor of Terre Haute, Ind., 1863-67. He belonged to a secret society which advocated a
constitutional government for the German Empire; in 1824, the conspiracy was uncovered; he
was convicted of treason and sentenced to fifteen years in prison; pardoned in 1829, and left
Germany for the United States.
John Wesley Langley (1868-1932) — Convicted of conspiracy to transport and sell liquor; reelected in 1924 while his appeal was pending, but resigned from Congress in 1926; sentenced to
a term in federal prison. Granted clemency by President Calvin Coolidge.
Paul Dominque Laxalt (b. 1922 ) — Between his terms as Governor and Senator, Paul Laxalt
built and operated the Ormsby House hotel and casino in Carson City, Nevada. Joe Yablonsky,
who served as special FBI agent in charge for four years in Las Vegas, once called Paul Laxalt "a
tool of organized crime". In 1987 Paul Laxalt sued McClatchey Newspapers for $250 million for
libel because a Sacramento Bee reporter wrote an article stating that the Ormsby House was
financed with criminal money and was heavily skimmed. Paul Laxalt dropped the law suit after
his brother Peter's ex-wife Katherine was found dead by the Napa River in California after the
FBI obtained a recording of her contradicting testimony she had made before a grand jury that
she knew nothing about the financing of the Ormsby House.
I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby Jr. (b. 1950) — Libby is the former Chief of Staff and assistant for
National Security Affairs to U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney and a former presidential advisor.
His role as spider in the web in the War on Terror brought him the nickname "Dick Cheney's
Dick Cheney."
On October 28, 2005, Libby resigned his government position, hours after being indicted by a
grand jury. His trial has not yet occurred.
Vincent L. Leibell, III (b.1946) — Leibell is a former politician from Putnam County, New
York. After a long career in the New York State Legislature, Leibell ran for and was elected
county executive in 2010, but resigned prior to taking office following an investigation by the
Federal Bureau of Investigation which led to his arrest and subsequent conviction on federal
corruption charges.
His resignation was in connection with a Federal plea arrangement stemming from two felony
convictions relating to kickbacks Leibell had received while using his position as State Senator
to steer taxpayer monies towards two local non-profit agencies which he controlled. In
November 2012, he was released to a halfway house after completed serving 17-months of his
21-month prison sentence at the Federal Correctional Institute in Loretto, Pennsylvania.
Robert Linlithgow "Bob" Livingston, Jr. (b.1943) — Livingston acknowledged that he had a
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series of affairs and resigned as Speaker-elect and resigned from the House in 1999.
Byron Low Tax Looper (b.1964) — He was indicted in March, 1998, on 14 counts of official
misconduct as Putnam County Tax Assessor. On October 19, 1998, he shot and killed Tommy
Burks, his opponent for a state senate seat; he was arrested soon after and charged with murder.
He lost the November 1998 senate election to Burks' widow, who ran as a write-in candidate
with the support of both parties. In August, 2000, he he was tried for murder, convicted, and
sentenced to life in prison without parole.
William Lorimer (1861-1934) — U.S. Representative from Illinois, 1895-1901, 1903-09 (2nd
District 1895-1901, 6th District 1903-09); delegate to Republican National Convention from
Illinois, 1904, 1908; U.S. Senator from Illinois, 1909-12. He was accused of bribery in winning
election to the Senate; in 1912, the Senate invalidated his election.
Donald Edgar Lukens (b. 1931) — U.S. Representative from Ohio, 1967-71, 1987-90 (24th
District 1967-71, 8th District 1987-90); member of Ohio state senate, 1975. Convicted in 1989
on a misdemeanor charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, by having sex with a 16
year old girl; sentenced to 30 days in jail. Indicted in February 1995 on five counts of bribery
and conspiracy; a jury in October 1995 found him not guilty on three counts but was unable to
reach a verdict on the other two; a mistrial was declared. Reindicted in March 1996, tried and
convicted.
Joseph Raymond McCarthy (1908-1957) — U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, 1947-57. Claimed
in a 1950 speech that he had a list of 205 Communists employed in the U.S. State Department;
went on to conduct hearings and investigations into alleged subversive activities and Communist
influence on society; with his sensationalist tactics and disregard for fairness and due process, he
dominated the American political scene for a period of time, now called the McCarthy Era;
public opinion turned against him when he tried to investigate the Army; in December 1953, the
Senate voted 67-22 to censure him for "contemptuous conduct" and abuse of select committee
privilege.
Chuck McGee (b. ) — The former executive director of the New Hampshire GOP, pleaded
guilty in July 2004 to a felony charge, while Allen Raymond, former head of GOP Marketplace,
pleaded guilty to a similar charge in June. In December, James Tobin, former New England
campaign chairman of Bush-Cheney '04, was indicted for conspiracy in the case. A scheme that
jammed Democratic telephone banks so the Democrats couldn't’t get their voters out.
Evan Mecham (b. 1924) — Governor of Arizona, 1987-88. Indicted in 1988 on six felony
counts of perjury and filing a false campaign report, specifically of failing to report a $350,000
loan to his campaign by Barry Wolfson, a real estate developer; later acquitted of these charges.
Impeached by the Arizona House of Representatives on February 5, 1988, on charges of
obstructing justice and illegally lending state money to his business; convicted and removed
from office by the Arizona Senate on April 4, 1988. A recall election was scheduled against him,
but it was canceled by the Arizona Supreme Court.
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Magne Alfred Michaelson (1878-1949) — U.S. Representative from Illinois 7th District, 192131; defeated, 1932. Indicted in 1928 on charges of violating the National Prohibition Act.
John Hipple Mitchell (1835-1905) — Member of Oregon state legislature; U.S. Senator from
Oregon, 1873-79, 1885-97, 1901-05; died in office 1905. Indicted in December 1904 in
connection with land frauds.
John Newton Mitchell (1913 -1988) — was the first United States Attorney General ever to be
convicted of illegal activities and imprisoned. He also served as campaign director for the
Committee to Re-elect the President, which engineered the Watergate first break-in and
employed Watergate burglar James W. McCord, Jr. in a "security" capacity.
L. Judson Morhouse (c. 1914-1982) — New York State Republican Chairman (1956-1959)
aide to Governor Nelson Rockefeller. Attempted to shake down the Playboy club for $100,000
plus the concessions in all the Playboy Club’s gift shops in exchange for issuing a liquor license.
Eventually took $18.000. Convicted of bribery, but the powers to be got his prison sentence
commuted due to health issues.
Claude E. Negley — Mayor of Indianapolis, Ind., 1927. Pleaded guilty in 1927 to bribery
charges and fined.
Truman Handy Newberry (1864-1945) — U.S. Senator from Michigan, 1919-22. Tried and
convicted in 1921 of election irregularities; conviction reversed by Supreme Court; following an
investigation, the Senate declared him entitled to his seat but expressed disapproval of the sum
spent on his election; in the face of a new movement to unseat him, he resigned.
Robert William Ney (b. 1954) — U.S. Representative from Ohio. Ney served in the Congress
for six terms from 1995 before pleading guilty to charges of bribery and corruption in 2006.
Jeffrey Ray Nielsen (b. 1970) — Worked previously for Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), as
well the Republican chair of California's Orange County. On 12-5-07, Nielsen agreed to two
felony counts of lewd acts upon a child.. A jury had deadlocked at an earlier trial this year -- in
which Nielsen was accused of engaging in sexual acts with a 14-year-old boy he met on the
internet -- and prosecutors were prepared to bring additional charges in a retrial. (Source)Richard
Milhous Nixon (1913-1994) — U.S. Representative from California 12th District, 1947-50; U.S.
Senator from California, 1950-53; appointed 1950; resigned 1953; delegate to Republican
National Convention from California, 1952, 1956; Vice President of the United States, 1953-61;
President of the United States, 1969-74; defeated, 1960; candidate for Governor of California,
1962; candidate for Republican nomination for President, 1964. Quaker. Member, American
Legion. Resigned as President under threat of impeachment as a result of the Watergate scandal;
pardoned in 1974 by President Gerald R. Ford.
Thomas W. Noe (b. 1954) — is an Ohio Bush Pioneer fund raiser who was found guilty of
money laundering for the 2004 Bush-Cheney campaign and of theft and corruption in the
"Coingate" scandal. In addition, on November 13, 2006, Noe was found guilty of stealing money
from the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation and using the cash to erase debts and buy and
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furnish million-dollar homes. (Added 11-13-06)
Oliver Laurence North (b. 1943) — Central figure in the Iran-Contra scandal of 1986; he was
in charge of a secret government operation to sell weapons to Iran and provide the profits to the
Nicaraguan "contras", who were fighting a civil war against the "Sandinista" government there.
Convicted in 1989 on federal charges of obstructing Congress, destroying documents, and
accepting an illegal gratuity; an appeals court later overturned the guilty verdict.
Nehemiah George Ordway (1828-1907) — Governor of Dakota Territory, 1880-84. Indicted on
corruption charges in 1883; his criminal trial in 1884 was cut short by a jurisdiction ruling;
removed from office by President Arthur.
Robert William Packwood (b. 1932) — U.S. Senator from Oregon, 1969-95; resigned 1995.
Resigned from the Senate in 1995, after the Select Committee on Ethics recommended his
expulsion for sexual misconduct, attempting to obstruct the committee's investigation, and using
his position to solicit employment for his wife.
Jeanine Ferris Pirro (b.1951) — In September 2006, Pirro was reported to be under state and
federal criminal investigation for allegedly hiring former New York City police commissioner
Bernard Kerik to arrange an illegal recording of her husband, who she suspected of adultery.
Conversations between Pirro and Kerik about planting a recording device were incidentally
intercepted by a federal wiretap during an investigation of Kerik on an unrelated matter.
In a press conference, Pirro stated that the recording device was never actually planted. Further,
she stated that her understanding of the law is that intercepting her husband's conversations on
her own property would have been lawful. Pirro served as a county judge before being elected
District Attorney of Westchester County for twelve years.
Caleb Powers (1869-1932) — Secretary of state of Kentucky, 1900; U.S. Representative from
Kentucky 11th District, 1911-19; delegate to Republican National Convention from Kentucky,
1916. Prosecuted and thrice convicted for the murder of Gov. William J. Goebel and spent eight
years in prison; pardoned in 1908 by Gov. Augustus E. Willson.
Coy Clarence Privette (b.1933) — In 1976, Privette was an unsuccessful Republican candidate
for Governor of North Carolina. He later served four terms in the North Carolina House of
Representatives (1985-1992). Since 1998, Privette has been a county commissioner in Cabarrus
County, North Carolina.
In 2007, Privette was charged with six counts of aiding and abetting prostitution. He paid for the
services of a prostitute on several occasions with checks, and then reported the checks stolen.
Susan Bonzon Ralston (b. 1968) — Carl Rove’s aid, Susan Ralston, resigned on October 5,
2006 after it was revealed in a House Committee report that Ralston was a conduit for hundreds
of Abramoff’s White House contacts.
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Ralston also carried the title of special assistant to President Bush.
Ralston was suggested to Rove by her boss one time boss, lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who worked
at Preston Gates and Ellis as well as the Greenberg Traurig law firm.
Ralston is the eldest of four children of Teotimo D. Bonzon, originally from Rizal province in
the Philippines, and Purificacion Lagman Bonzon of Quezon City.
Ms. Ralston, 37, is married to Troy Alan Ralston, regional director of operations for the Keller
Graduate School of Management at DeVry University. Ralston received her MBA degree from
Keller after earning a bachelor's degree with honors from Loyola University Chicago. (Added:
10-05-06)
David Hossein Safavian (b. 1967) — Former chief of staff of the United States General
Services Administration (GSA). In 2004, he was an employee of the Office of Management and
Budget. He was arrested and charged with crimes in connection with the Abramoff corruption
scandal. He was convicted and, on October 27, 2006, sentenced to 18 months in prison. Safavian
was a former registered lobbyist for the government of Pakistan, the government of Gabon, and
Pascal Lissouba, the corrupt former president of the Republic of the Congo. (Added 10-27-06)
Michael P. S. Scanlon (b. 1970) — Was the former communications director for Rep. Tom
DeLay. On November 21, 2005 Scanlon pleaded guilty to conspiring to bribe a member of
Congress and other public officials. Scanlon is probably best remembered for his candid
characterization of how the Republican’s mobilized many of the unsophisticated right wing
Christian groups to further their cause.
Harry Lloyd Sears, Jr. (1920-2002) — In 1972, he delivered a briefcase with $200,000 in cash
from his client Robert Vesco to President Richard M. Nixon's re-election campaign; indicted in
1973 on bribery conspiracy charges; granted immunity from prosecution in exchange for his
testimony against co-defendants John N. Mitchell and Maurice H. Stans, who were both
acquitted. His license to practice law was suspended for three years.
William Seeger — of Minnesota. Republican. Minnesota state treasurer, 1872-73. After
disclosure that he had accepted his predecessor's note for $112,000 of state funds, and had
concealed this from investigators, he resigned, but in spite of that, was subsequently impeached
and removed from office. The lost money was recovered from Seeger's bondsmen, and no
criminal prosecution was made.
Brian Setencich (born c.1962) — of Fresno, Fresno County, Calif. Republican. Member of
California state assembly, 1995-96; defeated, 1996; Speaker of the California State Assembly,
1995-96. Professional basketball player in Europe. Charged with bribery and mail fraud; tried
and acquitted in February, 2000. Charged with tax evasion; tried in federal court and convicted
in June, 2000. He was sentenced to spend seven months at a halfway house.
Don Sherwood (b. 1941) — Representative from Pennsylvania. Sherwood’s girlfriend called
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911 and accused Sherwood of choking her. No criminal charges were filed as neither side
cooperated with the police. After the police report was leaked to the press in 2005, Sherwood
admitted he had an affair with Ore, but denied that he ever abused her. That summer, Ore filed a
$5.5 million lawsuit against Sherwood, which was settled out of court on November 8, 2005. The
terms
of the settlement were not released, and both Ore and Sherwood refuse to talk about it.
Daniel Edgar Sickles (1819-1914) — Charged with murder, but with the help of his attorney
Edwin M. Stanton, was acquitted after the first successful plea of temporary insanity in U.S.
legal history. Received the Medal of Honor in 1897 for action at the Battle of Gettysburg, July 2,
1863; lost a leg in that battle; his amputated leg was displayed at the Army Medical Museum,
where he frequently visited it in later years.
Mark Deli Siljander (b. 1951) — U.S. Representative from the state of Michigan who was
indicted January 16, 2008 in connection with his work for an Islamic charity accused of
funneling money to an Afghan warlord.
William Lee Slocum, Jr. (born c.1948) — Member of Pennsylvania state senate 25th District,
1996-2000; resigned 2000. Pleaded guilty on January 18, 2000, to federal charges of violating
the Clean Water Act between 1983 and 1995, when he operated the Youngsville Sewage
Treatment Plant and allowed repeated discharges of raw sewage and sewage sludge into
Brokenstraw Creek. Sentenced to one month in jail, five months of home detention, and fined
$15,000.
C. Arnholt Smith (c.1899-1996) — Once the owner of the San Diego Padres, an airline, taxicab
company, tuna fleet, National Ship Building, and U.S. National Bank. Close friend of President
Richard Nixon, Republican fund raiser. Was convicted in 1979 of embezzlement of $8.9 million
from the Sovereign State Capital Corporation, and four counts of income tax evasion. Alleged to
have ties to organized crime figures such as John Alessio and Morris "Moe" Dalitz. Was an
investor in La Costa country club, a Teamster Pension Fund financed playground for organized
crime types.
Frank Leslie Smith (1867-1950) — Illinois Republican state chair, 1919-25; U.S. Senator from
Illinois, 1926-28; defeated, 1920; member of Republican National Committee from Illinois,
1932. Not seated as a U.S. Senator in 1927 due to charges of 'fraud and corruption in his
campaign.
Robert S. Stevens (c.1916-2000) — Member of California state assembly 60th District, 196367; member of California state senate 25th District, 1967-77; superior court judge in California,
1977-83. Censured by the California Supreme Court over allegations of sexually explicit
telephone conversations with his former Senate secretary and her husband.
William Sylvester "Hogjaw" Taylor (1853-1928) — Kentucky state attorney general, 1896-99;
Governor of Kentucky, 1899-1900; delegate to Republican National Convention from Kentucky,
1900. Indicted in 1900 as a conspirator in the assassination of William J. Goebel; fled to Indiana;
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never extradited; pardoned in 1909 by Gov. Augustus E. Willson.
Rudolph Gabriel Tenerowicz (1890-1963) — Mayor of Hamtramck, Mich., 1928-32, 1936-39;
U.S. Representative from Michigan 1st District, 1939-43; defeated (Republican), 1946, 1948,
1950, 1952, 1954. Tried and convicted on vice conspiracy charges; freed from prison when
pardoned by Gov. William A. Comstock.
John Parnell Thomas (1895-1970) — U.S. Representative from New Jersey 7th District, 193750; defeated, 1954. Pleaded no contest to embezzlement; resigned from Congress and sentenced
to prison.
Randal Tye Thomas (b. 1978) — Republican. Mayor, Gun Barrel City, Tex., 2000-2001,
resigned 2001; Presidential Elector for Texas, 2000; youngest mayor in Texas; indicted for
misdemeanor perjury, and arrested for public intoxication in 2001.
Randall Tobias (b. 1942) — Deputy Secretary of State Randall L. Tobias submitted his
resignation Friday, one day after confirming to ABC News that he had been a customer of a
Washington, D.C. escort service whose owner has been charged by federal prosecutors with
running a prostitution operation.
James W. Treffinger — of Essex County, N.J. Republican. Essex County Executive; candidate
in primary for U.S. Senator from New Jersey, 2000, 2002. Pleaded guilty in 2003 to corruption
and fraud charges; ordered to pay $30,000 restitution, and sentenced to 13 months in federal
prison.
William Scott Vare (1867-1934) — U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania 1st District, 191223, 1923-27; member of Pennsylvania state senate, 1922-23; U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania,
1927-29. Political boss of Philadelphia in the 1920's; unseated as U.S. Senator in 1929 over
charges of corruption and fraud in his election.
Bruce David Vittter - (b.1961) — In 2007, Vitter's phone number was included in a published
list of phone records of Pamela Martin and Associates, a company owned and run by Deborah
Jeane Palfrey, also known as the "D.C. Madam", convicted by the U.S. government for running a
prostitution service. Vitter was “forgiven” by his party because if he resigned, the Democratic
Governor of Louisiana would appoint a Democrat as his replacement.
Henry Clay Warmouth (1842-1931) — Governor of Louisiana, 1868-72. Impeached as
Governor in 1872 during election contest over successor.
James Gaius Watt (b. 1938) — U.S. Secretary of the Interior under President Ronald Reagan
from 1981 to 1983. Getting off to a great start - Watt once stated, "We will mine more, drill
more, cut more timber.
On Sept. 21, 1983, when describing his staff: "I have a black, a woman, two Jews and a cripple.
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And we have talent."
Watt resigned a few weeks later.
In 1995, Watt was indicted on 25 counts of felony perjury and obstruction of justice by a federal
grand jury. The indictments were due to false statements made to a grand jury investigating
influence peddling at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which he had lobbied
in the mid to late 1980s. On January 2, 1996, as part of a plea bargain, Watt pleaded guilty to one
misdemeanor count of withholding documents from a federal grand jury. On March 12, 1996 he
was sentenced to 5 years probation and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and perform 500 hours of
community service.
William L. Webster (b. 1953) — Member of Missouri state house of representatives; elected
1980, 1982; Missouri state attorney general, 1985-93; candidate for Governor of Missouri, 1992.
Member, American Bar Association. Pleaded guilty in 1993 to embezzlement and conspiracy,
and sentenced to two years in prison.
Caspar Willard Weinberger (b. 1917) — To forestall any prosecution for alleged misdeeds in
connection with the Iran-Contra affair, he was pardoned by President George Bush in 1992.
Curt Weldon (b.1947) — Congressman since 1987, representing the seventh district of
Pennsylvania.
According to a report in the October 15, 2006, Philadelphia Inquirer, the FBI and Justice
Department's investigations were triggered by a 2004 article in the Los Angeles Times reporting
on Weldon and his daughter Karen's links to the Russians and Serbians.
On October 16, 2006, FBI agents raided the home of Weldon's daughter, Karen, as well as five
other locations of Weldon associates in Pennsylvania and Florida as part of the investigation.
(Added 10-16-06)
James Elton West (1951 – 2006) — West was the mayor of Spokane, Washington. He was
recalled during a special election held on December 6, 2005. West was involved in a sex scandal
in 2005. He was accused of sexually abusing two young boys in the 1970s and 1980s when he
was a sheriff's deputy and Boy Scout leader. He was also accused of misusing his office as
mayor to lure teenage boys for sexual relationships. (Added 10-19-06)
Heather A. Wilson (b.1960) — Wilson has been a member of the United States House of
Representatives from New Mexico since 1998. She is the first woman veteran elected to the
United States Congress. In 1995, when she was Secretary of the New Mexico Children, Youth
and Families Department, she removed a file containing a police report of alleged inappropriate
contact with a minor by her husband. Wilson’s husband, Jay R. Hone, is currently on the Board
of the Great Southwest Council of the Boy Scouts as National Council Representative. (Added
10-19-06)
Leland Yin Yee (b.1948) — Yee was a San Francisco Supervisor, a member of the California
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State Assembly, and a state senator. Yee was arrested by the FBI on March 26, 2014 on charges
related to public corruption and gun trafficking — specifically buying automatic firearms and
shoulder-launched missiles from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, an Islamist extremist group
located in the southern Philippines and attempting to re-sell those weapons to an undercover FBI
agent, as well as accepting a $10,000 bribe from an undercover agent in exchange for placing a
call to the California Department of Public Health regarding a contract at the organization.
Mark D.Zachares (b.1959) — Zachares pleaded guilty on April 24, 2007 to accepting money
and gifts from lobbyist Jack Abramoff while working for Congressman Don Young (R-Alaska).
Zachares is the fifth (5th) congressional staffer to plead guilty in the Abramoff scandal and the
eleventh (11th) person to plead guilty in the Justice Department investigation of Jack Abramoff.
Zachares once held the position of Labor Secretary in the Northern Mariana Islands.
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