Stop saying Trump’s indictment is historic- it isn’t!
People keep blathering on about how historic it is that Trump is indicted for a crime. While it is true that he is the first former PRESIDENT to be indicted, indicting and trying high officials has a LONG history in the USA![1]
Watergate, of course, led to a slew of convictions and guilty please by members of Nixon’s administration. Separate from that, not only was Nixons Secretary of Commerce convicted of illegal campaign finance issues, but the SITTING vice-president pleaded no contest in court to income tax evasion!
Other notable convictions in the near modern era include Ted Kennedy (for the death of Mary Jo Kopekne) and Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz, as well as numerous congress-people.
Then we get to Reagan’s Iran-Contra scheme which Reagan artfully dodged culpability, throwing it all onto his flunkies. There were several other scandals and convictions of Reagan administration officials during his tenure.
Numerous members of Congress and the judiciary, during this period, were convicted for corruption, perjury or obstruction, as well as one notable homosexual sex conviction of a Republican Congressman.
Such convictions continued during GHW Bush’s terms and into the Clinton administration. Numerous officials were convicted during this period. Clinton himself was forced to sit for a deposition in which he committed perjury. He wasn’t brought before a criminal court but was indicted by the US House.
GW Bush’s administration and time in office saw at least 15 convictions including Scooter Libby, chief of staff to sitting vice-president Cheney!
Notably, no members of Obama’s administration ever were indicted or convicted. But during the Obama years, ten congresspeople and four judges were convicted of various crimes.
Finally, during Trump’s time in office the corruption simply became blatant!
Other historical high government officials convicted or indicted begin with the most infamous man. Perhaps no person in US history is more infamous to our nation than Aaron Burr with the possible exception of Benedict Arnold! Former vice-president Aaron Burr indicted for murder of Alexander Hamilton in New Jersey and New York. He was later charged and tried for conspiracy and treason!
Then there follows a HOST of representatives, senators, and judges!
Charles F. Mitchell (R-NY) U.S. Representative from New York’s 33rd District was convicted of forgery, sentenced to one year in prison and fined, though he was paroled early due to poor health (1841).
Robert Smalls (R-SC) U.S. Representative from South Carolina was charged with accepting a $5,000 (equivalent to $127,234 in 2021) bribe during 1877 in relation to a government printing contract and found guilty. Smalls was pardoned in 1879 by South Carolina Governor William Simpson.
Joseph R. Burton Senator (R-KS) was convicted of accepting a $2,500 (equivalent to $75,398 in 2021) bribe (1904).
John Hipple Mitchell Senator (R-OR) was involved with the Oregon land fraud scandal, for which he was indicted and convicted while a sitting U.S. Senator (1905).
Henry B. Cassel (R-PA) was convicted of fraud related to the construction of the Pennsylvania State Capitol (1909).
William Lorimer Senator (R-IL), The ‘blond boss of Chicago’ was found guilty of accepting bribes in 1912.
Robert W. Archbald (R) Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, was convicted of corruption in 1912.
Albert Fall (R) Secretary of the Interior who was bribed by Harry F. Sinclair for control of the Teapot Dome federal oil reserves in Wyoming. He was the first U.S. cabinet member to ever be convicted; he served two years in prison (1922).
William P. MacCracken Jr. (R) Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Aeronautics convicted of contempt of congress for the Air Mail scandal (1934).
John W. Langley (R-KY) convicted of violating the Volstead Act (Prohibition). He had also been caught trying to bribe a Prohibition officer. He was sentenced to two years. (1929)
Harry E. Rowbottom (R-IN) was convicted in Federal court of accepting bribes from persons who sought post office appointments. He served one year in Leavenworth (1931).
Michael J. Hogan (R-NY) was convicted of bribery and sentenced to a year and a day in a Federal Penitentiary (1935).
George Ernest Foulkes (D-MI) was convicted of bribery (1935).
Donald F. Snow (R-ME) was convicted of bribery (1935).
John H. Hoeppel (D-CA) convicted of selling an appointment to the West Point Military Academy. He was fined $1,000 (equivalent to $19,528 in 2021) and sentenced to 4–12 months in jail (1936).
James M. Curley (D-MA) fined $1,000 (equivalent to $12,136 in 2021) and served six months for fraud before Harry S. Truman commuted the rest of his sentence (1947).[26]
Andrew J. May (D-KY) convicted of accepting bribes from a war munitions manufacturer. Was sentenced to 9 months in prison, after which he was pardoned by Truman (1947).
J. Parnell Thomas (R-NJ) was convicted of salary fraud and given an 18-month sentence and a fine. He was imprisoned in Danbury Prison. After serving his 18 months he was pardoned by Truman (1950).
Walter E. Brehm (R-OH) convicted of accepting contributions illegally from one of his employees. Received a 15-month suspended sentence and a $5,000 (equivalent to $52,199 in 2021) fine (1951).
Orland K. Armstrong (R-MS) was convicted of fraud (1953).
Ernest K. Bramblett (R-CA) received a suspended sentence and a $5,000 (equivalent to $50,452 in 2021) fine for making false statements in connection with payroll padding and kickbacks from congressional employees (1954).
Thomas J. Lane (D-MA) convicted for evading taxes on his congressional income. Served 4 months in prison, but was re-elected three more times[32] (1956).
Thomas F. Johnson (D-MD) was convicted of conspiracy and conflict of interest regarding the receipt of illegal gratuities (1962).
Frank W. Boykin (D-AL) was convicted of conspiracy and conflict of interest (1963).
Daniel Brewster (D-MD) pleaded no contest to accepting “an unlawful gratuity without corrupt intent” (1969).
[1]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_American_federal_politicians_convicted_of_crimes
