US presidency has faced scandal before Trump
Though not the first U.S. president to grapple with legal and ethical controversies, Donald Trump stands alone as the first to face criminal charges.
Like Trump, two other former presidents endured impeachment proceedings but were acquitted in the Senate, and others were tied to scandals, though none faced formal charges.
● Bill Clinton’s presidency was marked by prolonged investigations, including one over his involvement in the Whitewater real estate venture, a failed effort to develop vacation properties in Arkansas. No evidence of wrongdoing by the Clintons emerged. However, several associates were convicted of fraud charges related to Whitewater. Clinton’s initial denial of an affair with Monica Lewinsky during a sexual harassment lawsuit led to his impeachment by the House in 1998. He was acquitted by the Senate.
● Ronald Reagan faced scrutiny during his second term over the Iran-Contra affair. The scandal involved secret arms sales facilitated by the administration to Iran meant to secure the release of hostages in Lebanon. The scandal diverted the margins from the highprofit sales to support the Reagan-favored “contra” rebels fighting in Nicaragua in violation of Congressional limits. Reagan wasn’t charged. However, some of his aides were convicted for deceiving Congress.
● Richard Nixon resigned from office amid the Watergate scandal, which involved a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters and subsequent attempts to cover up his administration’s involvement. The House Judiciary Committee charged him with obstruction of justice, abuse of power and contempt of Congress. He was later pardoned by his successor, Gerald Ford.
● Warren Harding made payments to conceal extramarital affairs, had friends involved in criminal activity and had a child born out of wedlock. Perhaps most prominently, Harding’s interior secretary, Albert Fall, became the first former Cabinet member to be incarcerated. Fall had the rights to the Teapot Dome oil fields in Wyoming transferred to the Department of the Interior and then went about awarding exclusive contracts to private oil companies. A Senate investigation revealed that Fall had accepted favors in exchange for the drilling rights.
President Richard Nixon and national security adviser Henry Kissinger in Vienna in May 1972.
● Ulysses Grant’s administration uncovered the Whiskey Ring scandal, an 1870s scheme to divert liquor taxes through off-the-books sales of illicit whiskey that involved officials from the U.S. Treasury Department. Among the key players was Grant’s personal secretary, Gen. Orville E. Babcock, who was charged as a conspirator but acquitted following a staunch defense and court testimony from Grant. Grant faced criticism for his handling of the scandal and was later accused of having full involvement in the scheme.
● Andrew Johnson clashed with Radical Republicans in Congress for wanting to pardon Confederate leaders and prevent Black people from voting after the Civil War. He ultimately faced impeachment for his effort to dismiss Lincoln-appointed Secretary of War Edwin Stanton without Senate approval. Johnson’s impeachment trial narrowly fell short – avoided removal from office by one vote.