Gamergate. Pizzagate. With every scandal, political or not, compared to the Watergate Scandal in 1972, it's easy to believe this was the worst thing to ever happen in American politics.
While the events that led to President Richard Nixon's resignation left an indelible mark on the country's history, we argue that there have been worse scandals before and after. From financial crises to personal affairs turned public, these may have not ended presidencies — but maybe they should have.
1. 1920s Teapot Dome Scandal
It’s easy to forget the scale of a political scandal over a hundred years ago, but the nature of the Teapot Dome incident makes this one of the most shocking of all time. It was a bribery scandal that occurred between 1921 and 1923 under the administration ofPresident Warren G. Harding.
Secretary of the Interior Albert Fall had accepted bribes from private oil companies in return for leasing petroleum reserves without competitive bidding. Investigations into the scandal also found that Harding kept a mistress, and it’s likely no coincidence that he died in office from a heart attack in 1923.
2. Chappaquiddick
The actions of Senator Edward “Ted” Kennedy at Chappaquiddick Island, Minnesota, in July 1969 defy explanation more than fifty years later. Only he would have known what was going through his mind when he left the scene of an accident and left another person to die.
Kennedy was driving a vehicle that crashed into Poucha Pond. His passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne, was abandoned to her fate. His political career was effectively over then, and Kennedy’s shameful actions made Chappaquiddickone of the biggest scandals ever.
3. Jeremy Thorpe Affair
Can there be a worse scandal than a political leader hiring a hitman? That scenario unfolded in the UK in the 1970s. They even made a movie about it calledA Very English Scandal.Jeremy Thorpe, leader of the Liberal Party, hired Andrew Newton to kill his former lover, Norman Scott.
Thorpe felt that his political career would be over if the relationship became public knowledge. The assassination attempt failed, the story came out anyway, and Jeremy Thorpe’s time as a political servant ended in shame.
4. Billy Carter and Billygate
Popular culture remembers Jimmy Carter’s brother Billy as a buffoon and an embarrassment to the sitting President, but an infamous incident involving the Libyan Government had far-reaching implications for the Carter administration.
Inan affairknown as “Billygate,” Billy Carter visited Libya three times before becoming an agent of the Government there. He received a loan in the region of $220,000, and it’s believed he repaid only $1,000. Jimmy Carter issued a statement denouncing his brother’s actions ahead of the 1980 Presidential vote. The scandal of a sitting President’s brother becoming involved with hostile opposition was shocking and unprecedented.
5. The Iran-Contra Affair
It was the biggest scandal of the Reagan administration and one that broke the law for several reasons. The Iran-Contra affair ran between 1981 and 1986 and involved the sale of arms to Iran via Israel. The weapons ended up in the hands of the contras, who were fighting Nicaragua’s Sandinista Government.
The sheer scale of lawbreaking and the involvement of senior officials makes this more significant than Watergate. Even more shocking is the fact that no one was effectively held accountablefor the Iran-Contra affair.
6. 1994: UK Cash for Questions Scandal
In the United Kingdom, Members of Parliament (MPs) raise questions in the House of Commons. The debate is supposed to be held on behalf of the MPs' constituents, but the system was abused in the mid-90s by the Cash for Questions row.
In 1994, it became clear that certain Conservative MPs had been bribed to raise questions in parliament.The Guardian reportedthat Neil Hamilton and Tim Smith were paid by the owner of Harrods, Mohamed Al Fayed, to ask questions that were in his interests. Both men resigned, although Hamiton continued to protest his innocence, while Smith admitted his guilt.
7. The XYZ Affair
The XYZ affair would, however, be a stern test for the new United States of America. 1797 President John Adams sent delegates to France after it emerged that U.S. ships en route to England were searched. During the height of the French Revolution, three French delegates, who became known as X, Y, and Z, refused to negotiate unless bribed.
The United States refused to cooperate, leading to thetwo-year Quasi-War. It was shocking that corrupt officials' actions led to such a conflict.
8. The Clinton / Lewinsky Affair
The fact that a sitting U.S. President had an affair with an intern isn’t the biggest scandal here. The issue is that Bill Clinton denied having relations with Monica Lewinsky in an infamous speech, which led to charges of perjury.
Clinton subsequently admitted to having an “improper physical relationship” with Lewinsky. Like Watergate, an initial denial led to a lack of trust in the President, and it’s felt that the affairmay have harmedthe Democratic Party’s chances at the 2000 election.
9. Pardongate
Was Bill Clinton’s shaming behind his controversial decision to pardon 140 people on his final day in office? Presidential Pardon Poweris a tradition, but many felt that Clinton went too far with some extreme acts of Clemency.
The sheer scale of those pardons was shocking enough. Clinton’s overall figure of 450 dwarfs his predecessor, George H.W. Bush, who only issued 75. Those 140 final-day pardons included questionable decisions and are felt by many as anact of betrayal.
10. A Good Day to Bury Bad News
The events of September 11, 2001, will never be forgotten. The attacks on the World Trade Center brought horror and condemnation around the world and left an indelible mark on modern history.
Over in the UK, an aide working for the ruling Labour Party felt that the events might provide an opportunity tohide some unwanted developments. As the world watched their television screens, Jo Moore thought it may be a “Good day to bury bad news.” The incident, also known as the “Jo Moore Spin Scandal,” is shocking because it looked to take advantage of such an appalling global tragedy.
11.Mitterrand-Pasqua Affair
It’s beendescribed asFrance’s most significant political scandal and may be the biggest in mainland Europe. The Mitterrand-Pasqua Affair, also known as Angolagate, involved arms for the oil trade, with those arms sent to Angola by the French Government in the 1990s.
It was the height of the Angolan Civil War, and the French, who were not directly involved in the conflict, became embroiled after several high-profile figures were accused of accepting cash for weapons. The most embarrassing aspect of the scandal for President Francois Mitterrand was his son, Jean-Christophe Mitterrand’s involvement.
12. Partygate
During theCovid crisis,members of the public made huge personal sacrifices. While our lifestyles changed beyond all recognition, the UK Prime Minister, members of parliament, and parliamentary staff attended social gatherings in an affair that came to be known as “Partygate.” The timeline of shame began with a cheese and wine party at 10 Downing Street in May 2020, while the Prime Minister’s birthday the following month led to a gathering of around 30 people.
The thought of betrayal by leaders at a time when many had made exceptional sacrifices ensures that Partygate is one of the biggest political scandals.
