Top 20 American Political Scandals That Changed History Forever

Top 20 US Political Scandals That Changed History Forever

#20: Trump January 6th Insurrection (2021)

On January 6th, 2021, a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol. Motivated by then-President Donald Trump’s repeated and widely unsubstantiated claims of election fraud, the mob aimed to disrupt the certification of the 2020 election results. This wasn’t just a protest gone wrong but a full-blown political crisis. The breaching of the Capitol led to five deaths, several injuries, and close to 1,500 charges involving members of Pro-Trump, far-right militia groups such as the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, and the QAnon movement. The Capitol attack resulted in Trump’s impeachment for incitement of insurrection, making him the only president to be impeached twice, and raising urgent questions about the fragility of American democracy.

#19: Koreagate (1976–78)

Imagine a foreign intelligence network funneling money through a businessman to curry favor and influence in American politics. Sounds like the perfect premise for a political thriller, except this really happened. In the late 1970s, the Koreagate scandal erupted when it was discovered that South Korean businessman Tongsun Park bribed 30 members of Congress to sway American foreign policy. It was a small initiative that was part of a broader plan by the South Korean government to secure U.S. military and economic support. The discovery led to multiple resignations, censures, and high-level reforms. Although not as well-known as Nixon’s Watergate scandal, Koreagate exposed deep vulnerabilities in American foreign policy and the dangers of foreign powers to manipulate American institutions.

#18: Bush Enhanced Interrogation Techniques (2001–09)

In the immediate wake of the 9/11 attacks, the administration under President George W. Bush decided to treat the attacks as an act of war. During the subsequent war on terrorism, the administration authorized a series of harsh interrogation techniques against terrorism suspects. Essentially torture, the enhanced interrogation methods included waterboarding, sleep deprivation, and binding in contorted stress positions, among many others. These proceedings were employed at secret CIA black sites and Guantanamo Bay. Any attempts to justify the interrogation techniques fell apart when the Senate Intelligence Committee’s 2014 report revealed their ineffectiveness. The reality was more brutal than previously disclosed, sparking national and international outrage, debates surrounding human rights, the legality of wartime actions, and America’s moral standing.

#17: House Banking Scandal (1991–92)

If the 70s had Watergate and Koreagate, the 90s had “Rubbergate.” In early 1992, members of the U.S. House of Representatives were allowed to overdraw their House checking accounts without incurring a penalty. More than 450 representatives took advantage of the opportunity and unregulated privilege. It wasn’t illegal, but the reality of elected officials floating personal debts on taxpayer-supported accounts did not go well with the public. The public outrage was further exacerbated by growing congressional corruption. The scandal ultimately led to dozens of lawmakers losing their seats in the 1994 midterms. It is now a cautionary tale on how a lack of transparency can erode public trust significantly, even if it's technically legal behavior.

#16: The Hamilton-Reynolds Sex Scandal (1791-97)

We have all been captivated by the Broadway hit musical “Hamilton,” but the real-life scandal that surrounded its protagonist was anything but poetic. In 1791, Alexander Hamilton, then Secretary of the Treasury, was embroiled in an affair with Maria Reynolds. Upon discovering his wife’s adultery, Reynolds’ husband blackmailed Hamilton and was paid $1,300 in hush money to keep the entire affair under wraps. It wasn’t until 1797 that Hamilton publicly confessed to the affair in an effort to clear his name from accusations of political corruption. The first major sex scandal in United States political history, the affair damaged Hamilton’s reputation permanently. Even the founding fathers weren’t immune to messy personal drama.

#15: Benghazi Attack Investigations (2012–16)

On the eve of 9/11 in 2012, terrorists attacked the U.S. diplomatic compound in Libya, killing U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three others. The attack sparked years of intense political controversy, with several congressional investigations. The investigations probed the government’s response and possible security failures. This continued until the end of 2016. During this period, the Obama administration was accused of a cover-up while Democrats called the probes politically motivated. There was no evidence of intentional wrongdoing, but the investigations deeply polarized the American public. Outlasting the tragedy itself, the investigations into the 2012 Benghazi attack led to deep partisan battles within American politics.

#14: Keating Five (1989–91)

Politics and big business have long been intertwined, but not always for the better. The Keating Five scandal exposed this caustic relationship in the late 80s. Five U.S. senators, including Alan Cranston and John McCain, improperly interceded on behalf of Charles Keating, whose savings and loan company was under federal investigation. The Keating Five pressured regulators to ease up on Keating. Their actions led to public outrage, amid calls for an investigation into political corruption. The senators ultimately found themselves in their own hot seats and faced ethics probes. The scandal was symbolic of the excesses that led to the savings and loan crisis of the 80s, as well as the influence of money over ethics and politics.

#13: Russian Election Interference (2016–19)

The 2016 U.S. presidential election was a pivotal moment in U.S. history, marking the election of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States. Trump’s victory was also the center of a historic political scandal involving Russia. Intelligence agencies confirmed that Russian hackers and troll farms launched a coordinated effort to sway the election. They achieved this by spreading misinformation and hacking political organizations. Special Counsel Robert Mueller would lead the subsequent investigations from 2017 to 2019. The investigations would identify links between the Trump campaign and Russian operatives, but no conclusive evidence to back the conspiracy. The scandal once again exposed holes in American democracy, along with the need for greater security and integrity in election processes.

#12: The Enron Scandal Political Connections (2001)

Another instance of politics meets business for nothing good, the Enron scandal covered one of America’s biggest corporate collapses. The American energy company’s fraudulent accounting practices became public in October 2001, leading to its bankruptcy. The company’s collapse resulted in the loss of thousands of jobs and the erosion of investors’ savings. Enron’s close ties with various politicians from various parties, major campaign donations, and lobbying efforts were heavily scrutinized. Subsequent investigations demonstrated a substantial lack of regulatory oversight within the organization. These factors, combined with the company’s dissolution, devastated the economy and shook public trust in a scandal that was not just a business matter.

#11: The Pentagon Papers Leak (1971)

In 1971, a military analyst named Daniel Ellsberg rewrote American history when he released classified documents covering the United States’ political and military involvement in the Vietnam War. Ellsberg’s revelations blew the lid off decades of government secrets about the war, its progress, and real intentions. The leak revealed systematic lies by the Johnson administration and the greater scope of the government’s actions in the Vietnam War, with coastal raids on North Vietnam. Initially charged with conspiracy, Ellsberg’s charges were later dismissed after the Nixon administration was found culpable in unlawful efforts to discredit the latter. One of the most significant whistleblower moments in American history, the Pentagon Papers leak showed that, in the end, truth always prevails.

#10: FBI COINTELPRO Revelations (1956-71)

If the CIA had its share of secret programs that went awry, the FBI had the COINTELPRO scandal. Between the mid-1950s and 1970s, the program covertly targeted political activists and any groups that were considered subversive. When word got out about the operations, it severely undermined the public’s trust in the FBI. From widespread abuse to illegal surveillance and infiltration, the program was symbolic of unregulated government overreach. Attempts to disrupt civil rights and anti-war movements were highlighted in congressional investigations, especially the use of informants and agents to neutralize the Black Panther Party. This led to reforms that curbed covert domestic spying in a scandal that showed how law enforcement could be used as a guise to suppress the rights of citizens.

#9: My Lai Massacre Cover-Up (1968)

The Vietnam War remains one of the darkest episodes in American history. It only got darker when news got out about U.S. soldiers brutally killing hundreds of innocent Vietnamese civilians in the My Lai Massacre of 1968. The military initially tried to cover up the mass murder, but it didn’t take long for investigative sleuths and whistleblowers to break the news to the American public. The scandal prompted outrage within a public that was already tired of the war and eroded domestic support. A grim reminder of how war crimes can be hidden, the My Lai Massacre highlighted the results of unchecked power and the importance of wartime accountability.

#8: Snowden NSA Surveillance Revelations (2013)

Another whistleblower, and another revelation. In 2013, Edward Snowden, a former NSA contractor, leaked thousands of documents. These weren’t ordinary documents but classified intel that exposed mass global surveillance programs. The documents presented how the NSA and its allies collected intelligence on various platforms, including phones, the internet, and emails. Privacy was no longer a private enterprise. The scandal drove Snowden to live as a fugitive in exile. It also highlighted the need for a balanced approach in maintaining national security without compromising civil liberties. Several years later, the leaks have permanently changed the landscape of privacy in the digital age.

#7: Iran Hostage Crisis (1979-81)

The Iranian Revolution was a period of heightened tensions between the US and Iran. It also became the setting of one of the longest hostage crises in history. Spanning a period of 444 days, 52 American diplomats and citizens were held hostage in Iran after militants seized the US embassy in Tehran. Failed rescue attempts and the prolonged standoff resulted in a political nightmare that upended Jimmy Carter’s 1980 election campaign. Ronald Reagan would later be inaugurated as the new President-elect, and with it settle the hostages’ eventual release, marking a defining moment in U.S.-Middle East relations.

#6: Hurricane Katrina Response Failures (2005)

When Hurricane Katrina battered New Orleans in 2005, it not only ripped through the city’s infrastructure but also exposed gaping holes in the government’s response to the disaster. Following the disaster, the government faced heavy criticism for its slow and disorganized response. This meant that thousands were left stranded without food, water, or shelter. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) bore the brunt of criticism, with the public's reception of the government’s ability to manage crises reaching an all-time low. The scandal highlighted systemic issues in disaster preparedness as well as racial and economic disparities in relief efforts. Katrina now stands as more than just a hurricane, but also as a lesson on how not to handle natural disasters.

#5: McCarthy Era Witch Hunts (1950-54)

You would have thought witch hunts were a thing of the past. But in the 1950s, Senator Joseph McCarthy led a nationwide anti-communist crusade. The crusade accused hundreds of government officials, entertainers, and citizens of being something they were not: Soviet spies. Combining flimsy evidence with widespread fear, McCarthy caught lightning in a bottle. The “Red Scare” witch hunts fanned political paranoia and laid waste to civil liberties. McCarthyism came to an end when the senator’s tactics were discredited during televised hearings. McCarthy’s support and popularity faded in due course, but he would continue to wage his battle against communism until his death. McCarthy’s witch hunts are a reminder of how falsity and unwarranted suspicion can unravel unity and democracy.

#4: Teapot Dome Scandal (1923-29)

The 1920s started with a bang, and not the good kind, when the Teapot Dome scandal became one of the first major government corruption cases in U.S. history. Secretary of the Interior Albert Fall was found guilty of secretly leasing Navy oil reserves at Teapot Dome, Wyoming, to private oil companies. Of course, in exchange for bribes. When uncovered, the scandal led to Fall’s conviction. He holds the irreverent distinction of being the first cabinet member jailed for crimes committed in the line of duty. The fallout of the scandal exposed corruption at the highest levels and forever changed how Americans viewed Washington politics.

#3: Iran-Contra Affair (1985–87)

Leasing oil to private companies is one thing, but selling arms to fund rebels is a completely different matter altogether. In the 1980s, the Reagan administration got caught doing exactly that when the Iran-Contra Affair scandal revealed secret arms being sold to Iran, despite an embargo, to fund Contra rebels in Nicaragua. The operation violated U.S. law and defied direct orders from Congress. The resulting fallout was explosive, leading to high-profile investigations and convictions. Raising serious questions about executive power, the affair highlighted how shadowy government operations undermined democratic oversight.

#2: Monica Lewinsky Scandal (1998)

The late 90s delivered many unforgettable moments in history. Foremost among them was President Bill Clinton, facing impeachment after revelations of his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. The scandal had all the right ingredients: power, lies, and a media circus to keep it alive. First came the denial and then the infamous admission. The scandal dominated headlines. Congressional hearings became prime-time drama. The nation debated the blurred lines of morality and privacy in politics. Clinton was impeached by the House, but was later acquitted by the Senate and allowed to finish his term. Pulling together personal misconduct with public office, the scandal remains one of the most infamous in American history.

#1: Watergate Scandal (1972-74)

It started with a seemingly minor burglary in 1972, but quickly spiraled into one of the most significant political scandals and one of the largest political cover-ups in U.S. history. The Watergate Scandal began with a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters. Behind the scenes, President Nixon and his administration desperately scrambled to conceal their involvement in what was a web of lies, obstruction, and raw abuse of power. Thanks to investigative journalism and congressional hearings, the truth came crashing down upon Nixon. Facing certain impeachment, he would become the only U.S. president to ever resign from his post. The Watergate scandal reshaped American politics, altering the public’s perception and trust in their leaders.

Which of these political scandals do you think had the biggest impact on America’s history? Let us know in the comments.