<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail-story-intro gmail-story-content" style="box-sizing:border-box;word-wrap:break-word"><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px"><font color="#3c3736" face="Open Sans"><span style="font-size:16px;letter-spacing:0.125px"><a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/1/11/1619079/-Comparing-Presidential-Administrations-by-Arrests-and-Convictions-A-Warning-for-Trump-Appointees?detail=emailclassic">https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/1/11/1619079/-Comparing-Presidential-Administrations-by-Arrests-and-Convictions-A-Warning-for-Trump-Appointees?detail=emailclassic</a></span></font><br></p><p style="color:rgb(60,55,54);font-family:"Open Sans";font-size:16px;letter-spacing:0.125px;box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">In May 2015, conservative <em style="box-sizing:border-box">New York Times</em> columnist David Brooks <a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2015/05/31/david_brooks_obama_amazingly_scandal_free_administration_chosen_people_scandal_free.html" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">mentioned on PBS’s </a><em style="box-sizing:border-box"><a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2015/05/31/david_brooks_obama_amazingly_scandal_free_administration_chosen_people_scandal_free.html" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">Newshour</a> </em>that the Obama administration has been remarkably scandal-free:</p><p style="color:rgb(60,55,54);font-family:"Open Sans";font-size:16px;letter-spacing:0.125px;box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px"><span style="background-color:rgb(247,247,247)">“President Obama has run an amazingly scandal-free administration, not only he himself, but the people around him. He’s chosen people who have been pretty scandal-free.”</span></p><p style="color:rgb(60,55,54);font-family:"Open Sans";font-size:16px;letter-spacing:0.125px;box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">As Obama’s administration winds to a close, that remains true. Not one criminal indictment for anyone in the Obama administration over the entire eight years of his tenure. In fact, it is the only Presidential administration since Watergate to end with <em style="box-sizing:border-box">zero </em>criminal indictments. </p><p style="color:rgb(60,55,54);font-family:"Open Sans";font-size:16px;letter-spacing:0.125px;box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">The GOP leadership in the Senate is trying to ram through as many as Trump’s controversial nominees as quickly as possible. Most of them have not yet completed FBI security clearance checks or ethics reviews by the United States Office of Government Ethics, something that OGE Director Walter M. Shaub, Jr. has said in a letter has never happened in the four decades since the OGE was established. </p><p style="color:rgb(60,55,54);font-family:"Open Sans";font-size:16px;letter-spacing:0.125px;box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">This actually puts Trump’s nominees at personal considerable risk. The OGE serves to protect them from potential violations of ethics laws. An ethical review before Senate confirmation allows them to address potential ethical conflicts by, for example, divesting themselves of their stock holdings or even withdrawing their nomination. But if an ethical violation is discovered after confirmation, it could result in criminal indictments and potential jail sentences for those individuals.</p><p style="color:rgb(60,55,54);font-family:"Open Sans";font-size:16px;letter-spacing:0.125px;box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">If Obama’s administration is considered to be the least scandal-ridden, it made me wonder which administrations in recent history were the <em style="box-sizing:border-box">most </em>scandal-ridden?</p></div><div class="gmail-row" style="box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(60,55,54);font-family:"Open Sans";font-size:16px;letter-spacing:0.125px"><div class="gmail-col-sm-12" style="box-sizing:border-box;min-height:1px;padding-left:15px;padding-right:15px;float:left;width:690px"><div id="gmail-read-more" style="box-sizing:border-box;height:150px"></div><div class="gmail-story-intro-divider" style="box-sizing:border-box;width:200px;height:1px;background-color:rgb(204,204,204);margin:35px auto 50px;clear:both"></div><div class="gmail-story-body gmail-story-content" style="box-sizing:border-box;word-wrap:break-word"><h2 style="box-sizing:border-box;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";font-weight:500;line-height:40pt;color:inherit;margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:30px">Comparing scandals by administration</h2><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">In comparing scandals by administration, first I had to decide what constituted a scandal. How many were genuine problems versus those artificially hyped by opposition parties. Benghazi? Whitewater? Travelgate? </p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">Even when someone was forced to resign over a scandal, how much of that was politically motivated rather than a criminal issue, like Joycelyn Elders’ <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joycelyn_Elders#Comments_on_human_sexuality_and_termination" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">masturbation comments</a> or Shirley Sherrod’s firing over what turned out to be a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firing_of_Shirley_Sherrod" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">doctored video</a>?</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">I ultimately relied on Wikipedia’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_federal_political_scandals_in_the_United_States" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">list of federal political scandals in the U.S.</a>, but limited it to only the executive branch scandals that actually resulted in a criminal indictment. I also decided to only go back as far as Richard Nixon, whose participation in Watergate ultimately resulted in him being the only sitting president to ever resign. This lets many other scandal-ridden administrations off the hook—notably that of Warren Harding and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teapot_Dome" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">Teapot Dome scandal</a>, and of Ulysses S. Grant and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiskey_Ring" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">Whiskey Ring</a>and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_(1869)" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">Black Friday</a> scandals—but so be it.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">The chart below only includes people who served in the administration, and excludes others (like members of Congress and private individuals) who may have also been swept up and indicted for the same scandal. The “Convictions” list includes both those who went to trial and were found guilty as well as those who plea bargained and pleaded guilty. The “Prison Sentences” should be considered a minimum figure, as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_federal_political_scandals_in_the_United_States" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">Wikipedia's list</a> wasn’t always clear on penalties and I wasn’t able to look all of the unclear ones up. </p><div class="gmail-table-wrapper" style="box-sizing:border-box;overflow-x:auto"><table class="gmail-dk5-table" style="box-sizing:border-box;border-collapse:collapse;width:auto;max-width:100%;margin-bottom:20px;min-width:65%;border-top:3px solid rgb(60,55,54);border-bottom:1px solid rgb(234,113,6)"><caption style="box-sizing:border-box;font-size:18px;text-align:left;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";text-transform:uppercase;color:rgb(234,113,6);margin-bottom:10px">EXECUTIVE BRANCH CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES BY PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION</caption><thead style="box-sizing:border-box"><tr style="box-sizing:border-box"><th style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:left;border-right:none;min-width:50px;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";text-transform:uppercase;border-bottom:2px solid rgb(221,221,221);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:bottom;border-top:0px;background-color:rgb(249,249,249)">ADMINISTRATION</th><th style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";text-transform:uppercase;border-bottom:2px solid rgb(221,221,221);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:bottom;border-top:0px;border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">PARTY</th><th style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";text-transform:uppercase;border-bottom:2px solid rgb(221,221,221);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:bottom;border-top:0px;border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)"><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">YEARS IN</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px">OFFICE</p></th><th style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";text-transform:uppercase;border-bottom:2px solid rgb(221,221,221);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:bottom;border-top:0px;border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)"><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">CRIMINAL</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px">INDICTMENTS</p></th><th style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";text-transform:uppercase;border-bottom:2px solid rgb(221,221,221);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:bottom;border-top:0px;border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)"><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">CRIMINAL</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px">CONVICTIONS</p></th><th style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;border-right:none;min-width:50px;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";text-transform:uppercase;border-bottom:2px solid rgb(221,221,221);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:bottom;border-top:0px"><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">PRISON</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px">SENTENCES</p></th></tr></thead><tbody style="box-sizing:border-box"><tr style="box-sizing:border-box"><th style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:left;border-right:none;min-width:50px;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";text-transform:uppercase;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);background-color:rgb(249,249,249)">BARACK OBAMA</th><td style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">Democratic</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">8</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">0</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">0</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;border-right:none;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221)">0</td></tr><tr style="box-sizing:border-box"><th class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:left;border-right:none;min-width:50px;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";text-transform:uppercase;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);background-color:rgb(249,249,249)">GEORGE W. BUSH</th><td style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">Republican</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">8</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">16</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">16</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;border-right:none;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221)">9</td></tr><tr style="box-sizing:border-box"><th class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:left;border-right:none;min-width:50px;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";text-transform:uppercase;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);background-color:rgb(249,249,249)">BILL CLINTON</th><td style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">Democratic</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">8</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">2</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">1</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;border-right:none;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221)">1</td></tr><tr style="box-sizing:border-box"><th class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:left;border-right:none;min-width:50px;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";text-transform:uppercase;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);background-color:rgb(249,249,249)">GEORGE H. W. BUSH</th><td style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">Republican</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">4</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">1</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">1</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;border-right:none;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221)">1</td></tr><tr style="box-sizing:border-box"><th class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:left;border-right:none;min-width:50px;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";text-transform:uppercase;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);background-color:rgb(249,249,249)">RONALD REAGAN</th><td style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">Republican</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">8</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">26</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">16</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;border-right:none;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221)">8</td></tr><tr style="box-sizing:border-box"><th class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:left;border-right:none;min-width:50px;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";text-transform:uppercase;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);background-color:rgb(249,249,249)">JIMMY CARTER</th><td style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">Democratic</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">4</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">1</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">0</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;border-right:none;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221)">0</td></tr><tr style="box-sizing:border-box"><th class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:left;border-right:none;min-width:50px;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";text-transform:uppercase;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);background-color:rgb(249,249,249)">GERALD FORD</th><td style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">Republican</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">2.4</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">1</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">1</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;border-right:none;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221)">1</td></tr><tr style="box-sizing:border-box"><th class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:left;border-right:none;min-width:50px;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";text-transform:uppercase;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);background-color:rgb(249,249,249)">RICHARD NIXON</th><td style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">Republican</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">5.6</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">76</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">55</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;border-right:none;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221)">15</td></tr></tbody></table></div><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">Overall, Richard Nixon’s administration had the most criminal indictments and convictions. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_federal_political_scandals_in_the_United_States" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">Wikipedia’s list</a> enumerates 13 specific individuals who were convicted and imprisoned over Watergate alone, but notes that a total of 69 officials were indicted for the scandal and 48 were either convicted or pleaded guilty. (Nixon himself is not included; after his resignation, President Gerald Ford gave him a blanket pardon, sparing him from any potential indictments. However, his first vice president, Spiro Agnew, is included for indictments unrelated to Watergate.)</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">The Reagan Administration is next with 26 indictments and 16 convictions (including guilty pleas), followed by the George W. Bush Administration with 16 indictments, all ending in convictions or guilty pleas. The Nixon Administration had at least 15 people serve at least some time in prison for their crimes, while Bush 43’s administration had at least 9 and the Reagan Administration had at least 8. (Scooter Libby’s sentence is included here even though Bush pardoned him in 2007 before he was sent to jail, since the pardon did not expunge the crime and the pardon itself is a political act, not a judicial determination. But others whose convictions were later overturned—like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_North" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">Oliver North’s</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Poindexter" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">John Poindexter’s</a>—are included under indictments but not convictions since it wouldn’t be appropriate for us to second-guess the courts’ reasoning for overturning those convictions.) </p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">All those Clinton White House “scandals”? Despite hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on hearings on Whitewater, Travelgate, the use of the White House Christmas card list, and other oddities, almost all resulted in absolutely nothing. Clinton himself isn’t included. As with Nixon, the impeachment proceedings themselves should count as an indictment, and in the end his only citation was for contempt of court, which I didn’t interpret as the same as an indictment. (I will update this if folks show me this was incorrect.) The only indictments for his administration were of his Secretary of Agriculture <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Espy" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">Mike Espy</a> (who was acquitted of all 30 charges) and of Espy’s chief of staff <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Espy#Trial_and_acquittal" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">Ronald Blackely</a>, who was convicted of making a false statement and sentenced to 27 months in prison. </p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">The George H. W. Bush Administration only had a single criminal indictment, but it’s notable for two reasons. It was the only time that a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalina_Vasquez_Villalpando" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">U.S. treasurer has ever gone to prison</a>. But Catalina Vasquez Villalpando’s conviction and sentence is probably less notable than who <em style="box-sizing:border-box">didn’t</em> go to jail: President Bush 41 himself escaped potentially ruinous scandal by granting clemency to six people indicted in the Reagan Administration’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran-Contra_Affair" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">Iran-Contra scandal</a>, thereby avoiding trials that could have exposed Bush 41’s involvement.</p><div class="gmail-align-center" style="box-sizing:border-box;text-align:center;clear:both"><figure class="gmail-image-captioned" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:table;margin:7px auto 26px;float:initial"><img alt="Crimes_by_Admin.png" src="https://images.dailykos.com/images/348556/large/Crimes_by_Admin.png?1484100297" title="Crimes_by_Admin.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 550px; height: auto; max-width: 100%;"><figcaption title="" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:table-caption;caption-side:bottom;word-break:break-word;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(226,117,39);padding-bottom:10px;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";font-size:13px;line-height:20px">Executive branch criminal actions from Richard Nixon through Barack Obama.</figcaption></figure></div><h2 style="box-sizing:border-box;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";font-weight:500;line-height:40pt;color:inherit;margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:30px">Comparing scandals by party</h2><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">Just glancing at the chart above, it’s pretty clear which administrations are the most criminal, but let’s roll up the data anyway.</p><div class="gmail-table-wrapper" style="box-sizing:border-box;overflow-x:auto"><table class="gmail-dk5-table" style="box-sizing:border-box;border-collapse:collapse;width:auto;max-width:100%;margin-bottom:20px;min-width:65%;border-top:3px solid rgb(60,55,54);border-bottom:1px solid rgb(234,113,6)"><caption style="box-sizing:border-box;font-size:18px;text-align:left;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";text-transform:uppercase;color:rgb(234,113,6);margin-bottom:10px">EXECUTIVE BRANCH CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES BY PARTY SINCE 1968</caption><thead style="box-sizing:border-box"><tr style="box-sizing:border-box"><th style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:left;border-right:none;min-width:50px;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";text-transform:uppercase;border-bottom:2px solid rgb(221,221,221);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:bottom;border-top:0px;background-color:rgb(249,249,249)">ADMINISTRATION</th><th style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";text-transform:uppercase;border-bottom:2px solid rgb(221,221,221);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:bottom;border-top:0px;border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)"><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">TOTAL YEARS</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px">IN OFFICE</p></th><th style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";text-transform:uppercase;border-bottom:2px solid rgb(221,221,221);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:bottom;border-top:0px;border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)"><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">CRIMINAL</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px">INDICTMENTS</p></th><th style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";text-transform:uppercase;border-bottom:2px solid rgb(221,221,221);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:bottom;border-top:0px;border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)"><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">CRIMINAL</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px">CONVICTIONS</p></th><th style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;border-right:none;min-width:50px;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";text-transform:uppercase;border-bottom:2px solid rgb(221,221,221);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:bottom;border-top:0px"><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">PRISON</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px">SENTENCES</p></th></tr></thead><tbody style="box-sizing:border-box"><tr style="box-sizing:border-box"><th style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:left;border-right:none;min-width:50px;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";text-transform:uppercase;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);background-color:rgb(249,249,249)">DEMOCRATIC</th><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">20</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">3</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">1</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;border-right:none;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221)">1</td></tr><tr style="box-sizing:border-box"><th class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:left;border-right:none;min-width:50px;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";text-transform:uppercase;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);background-color:rgb(249,249,249)">REPUBLICAN</th><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">28</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">120</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">89</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;border-right:none;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221)">34</td></tr></tbody></table></div><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">Some might try to argue that this unfairly penalizes Republican administrations because GOP administrations held office for eight more years than Democratic administrations during this time period. The huge gap between the numbers shows how ridiculous that is, but even so, let’s get the averages per year of combined administrations:</p><div class="gmail-table-wrapper" style="box-sizing:border-box;overflow-x:auto"><table class="gmail-dk5-table" style="box-sizing:border-box;border-collapse:collapse;width:auto;max-width:100%;margin-bottom:20px;min-width:65%;border-top:3px solid rgb(60,55,54);border-bottom:1px solid rgb(234,113,6)"><caption style="box-sizing:border-box;font-size:18px;text-align:left;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";text-transform:uppercase;color:rgb(234,113,6);margin-bottom:10px">AVERAGE EXECUTIVE BRANCH CRIMINAL ACTIONS BY YEAR SINCE 1968</caption><thead style="box-sizing:border-box"><tr style="box-sizing:border-box"><th style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:left;border-right:none;min-width:50px;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";text-transform:uppercase;border-bottom:2px solid rgb(221,221,221);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:bottom;border-top:0px;background-color:rgb(249,249,249)">ADMINISTRATION</th><th style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";text-transform:uppercase;border-bottom:2px solid rgb(221,221,221);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:bottom;border-top:0px;border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)"><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">AVERAGE #</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">INDICTMENTS</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px">PER YEAR</p></th><th style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";text-transform:uppercase;border-bottom:2px solid rgb(221,221,221);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:bottom;border-top:0px;border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)"><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">AVERAGE #</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">CONVICTIONS</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px">PER YEAR</p></th><th style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;border-right:none;min-width:50px;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";text-transform:uppercase;border-bottom:2px solid rgb(221,221,221);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:bottom;border-top:0px"><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">AVERAGE #</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">IMPRISONMENTS</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px">PER YEAR</p></th></tr></thead><tbody style="box-sizing:border-box"><tr style="box-sizing:border-box"><th style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:left;border-right:none;min-width:50px;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";text-transform:uppercase;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);background-color:rgb(249,249,249)">DEMOCRATIC</th><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">0.15</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">0.05</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;border-right:none;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221)">0.05</td></tr><tr style="box-sizing:border-box"><th class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:left;border-right:none;min-width:50px;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";text-transform:uppercase;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);background-color:rgb(249,249,249)">REPUBLICAN</th><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">4.29</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221);border-right:1px solid rgb(204,204,204)">3.18</td><td class="gmail-AlignCenter" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:8px;text-align:center;border-right:none;min-width:50px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);line-height:1.42857;vertical-align:top;border-top:1px solid rgb(221,221,221)">1.21</td></tr></tbody></table></div><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">Even when we standardize it by getting annual averages, GOP administrations still have 29 <em style="box-sizing:border-box">times </em>more indictments, 64 times more convictions, and 24 times more prison sentences. </p><div class="gmail-align-center" style="box-sizing:border-box;text-align:center;clear:both"><figure class="gmail-image-captioned" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:table;margin:7px auto 26px;float:initial"><img alt="Crimes_by_Admin_Party_comp.png" src="https://images.dailykos.com/images/349120/large/Crimes_by_Admin_Party_comp.png?1484243322" title="Crimes_by_Admin_Party_comp.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 550px; height: auto; max-width: 100%;"><figcaption title="" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:table-caption;caption-side:bottom;word-break:break-word;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(226,117,39);padding-bottom:10px;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";font-size:13px;line-height:20px">Average annual executive branch criminal actions by party dating back to 1969.</figcaption></figure></div><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">For those who say going back to Nixon’s Administration in order to include Watergate was an arbitrary cut-off, I’d argue that <em style="box-sizing:border-box">excluding </em>Watergate would have been a more extraordinary and arbitrary decision. It was the biggest political scandal of modern times and the only one to lead to the resignation of a sitting president. It marked a huge turning point in the American public’s distrust and skepticism of our governmental institutions. And while I could have included the Johnson administration in order to make it the last 50+ years rather than 48, that would just serve to make the Republican metrics look even worse. It would have added five years to the Democrats’ denominator <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_federal_political_scandals_in_the_United_States#1963.E2.80.931969_Lyndon_B._Johnson_Administration" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">without adding any more executive branch criminal actions</a> to their numerator, which have just served to lower the Democratic annual percentages even further. And while Watergate and other criminal actions in the Nixon administration certainly added a huge chunk to Republican totals, the Reagan and Bush 43 administrations certainly did their part to keep those numbers up.</p><h2 style="box-sizing:border-box;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";font-weight:500;line-height:40pt;color:inherit;margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:30px">A warning to the Trump administration</h2><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">Donald Trump’s nominees are already in danger. Trump already has a reputation for deliberately <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/michelinemaynard/2016/12/30/5-tips-for-covering-ceo-president-donald-trump-managing-conflict/#1653913a1a1b" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">fostering conflicts and rivalries</a> among his subordinates. Somehow he survived <em style="box-sizing:border-box">despite </em>this behavior in the boardroom, and naturally thrived on it in his reality television career—many viewers turn in to see conflict, not cooperation. But in the White House, it will be a disaster. Enemies will seek to undermine their rivals, and that will mean leaks, investigations (by journalists if Congress shirks its duty), and potential criminal indictments even if the Justice Department turns a blind eye. (Not just one but <em style="box-sizing:border-box">two</em> of Nixon’s attorneys general ended up going to jail, so a compliant Department of Justice isn’t protection.)</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">Trump’s own <a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/11/trump-organization-international-conflicts-of-interest" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">potential conflicts</a> are too numerous to list, and while the president is exempt from some conflicts of interest laws, it’s not a blanket immunity, especially for things in the Constitution like the <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/research/the-emoluments-clause-its-text-meaning-and-application-to-donald-j-trump/" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">Emoluments Clause</a>. (How many of us had even heard of that clause before this election? I only knew of it vaguely as a prohibition of elected officials to accept <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Title_of_Nobility_Clause" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">Titles of Nobility</a> while still in office—<a href="http://articles.latimes.com/1989-06-14/news/mn-2281_1_knighthood-british-empire-queen-s-warning" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">Ronald Reagan</a> and <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/1993-12-01/news/mn-62855_1_queen-elizabeth-s-court" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">George H. W. Bush’s</a> British knighthoods came after they left office and <a href="https://www.eisenhower.archives.gov/all_about_ike/awards_medals.html" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">Dwight Eisenhower’s</a> were awarded before he became president for his leadership in World War II, for which he nevertheless needed c<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Title_of_Nobility_Clause#Congressional_authorization" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">ongressional authorization</a> at the time since he was still serving in the military.)</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">But as I mentioned before, his nominees are at great <em style="box-sizing:border-box">personal </em>risk if their nominations are rushed through before FBI or Office of Government Ethics review. A conflict that is revealed after they take office could result in criminal indictments. And while President Trump could pardon them for criminal violations (but not civil acts), that only applies to federal charges, not those filed under other state laws, should there be any. And how many pardons can he issue before his own support erodes? Yes, some of his most rabid supporters won’t care (but still want to seek criminal charges against Democrats who didn’t even commit any crimes). But his winning edge in the states that pushed him over the Electoral College top came from a lot of undecided voters who broke for him in the final week (or <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/28/politics/hillary-clinton-email-timeline/" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">eleven days, specifically</a>) but won’t stay loyal if scandals grow. (Already, <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=voted%20for%20you%20trump&src=tyah" target="_blank" title="" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">“voted for you Trump“</a> on Twitter reveals a lot of his disgruntled voters telling him they voted for him but want him to stop tweeting, vet his nominees with proper ethics review, address the Russian hacking issue, and other expressions of disappointment.)</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">If they were wise, Trump’s nominees and appointees should <em style="box-sizing:border-box">insist </em>on an Office of Government Ethics review before taking office for their own legal protection.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">The vetting process is intended to expose legal conflicts as well as potentially politically embarrassing issues that could cause a nomination to be withdrawn or rejected by the Senate, but it also provides the appointee with a road map for how to legally protect themselves once in office. This process <a href="https://www.law360.com/bankruptcy/articles/862997/-a-primer-on-the-presidential-appointee-vetting-process" target="_blank" title="" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">typically includes</a> investigating:</p><ul style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:10px"><li style="box-sizing:border-box">Tax issues</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box">Ethical and financial conflicts of interest</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box">Legal and law enforcement history, such as criminal records</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box">Publications and organizational affiliations that could prove embarrassing</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box">Medical, family, and personal issues</li></ul><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">Issues exposed in the process could result in working with the U.S. Office of Government Ethics to address those conflicts (such as divesting stocks or business assets that could provide a conflict), developing a plan for how to speak about past history in confirmation hearings, or potentially even withdrawing the nomination for an insurmountable issue. They work with the OGE to craft a <a href="https://www.oge.gov/web/oge.nsf/Congressional%20Correspondence/092B59EFD6EC27608525808800724288/%24FILE/Carper%20response.pdf?open" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">binding letter</a> that outlines the steps the official will take to resolve conflicts identified by the OGE. </p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">The vetting process is a chore, but it’s an important step to avoid potentially worse embarrassments for the administration after the confirmation, not to mention potential criminal liability for the appointees. In 2004, Rudy Giuliani persuaded President Bush to nominate <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Kerik" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">Bernie Kerik</a> for secretary of Homeland Security. Kerik was a former NYPD and NY Department of Corrections Commissioner who later served in 2003 as the interior minister of the Iraqi Coalition Provisional Authority. His nomination was derailed when the vetting process revealed that he had illegally employed an undocumented immigrant as a nanny, and then ended up pleading guilty to two unrelated ethics charges resulting in a $221,000 fine. In 2009, Kerik pleaded guilty to eight more charges, including tax fraud and false statements, and was sentenced to four years in prison. As embarrassing as it was for the Bush administration to have to withdraw their nomination for a high-profile cabinet post, it would have been even worse for their actual secretary of Homeland Security to be arrested while in office.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">When Obama was elected in 2008, his transition team employed dozens of lawyers to help with the vetting process, according to Rachel Maddow on the opening segment on her January 9, 2017, show. One of the most complicated vetting processes was for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_Pritzker" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">Penny Pritzker</a>, a Chicago billionaire who, among other things, was daughter and heir of the co-founded of Hyatt Hotels. She was considered for secretary of Commerce in 2009, but withdrew from consideration. She was then nominated and confirmed for the position when it became vacant in 2013. Her disclosure forms listing all of her assets, holdings, and business interests were <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/14/opinion/donald-trumps-nominees-are-in-for-a-rough-ride.html" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">184 pages long</a>. The U.S. Office of Government Ethics spent six months going through every line item of those 184 pages to develop a plan for Pritzker to divest herself of her business conflicts and shield herself from potential criminal liability for a conflicts violation. In the end, she had to sell her stakes in more than 200 business entities.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">But it worked. She’ll leave office on January 20 without a single ethics charge. Though the Obama team’s ethics review missed some things before nomination—like Tom Daschle’s $140,000 in back taxes he owed due to unreported income in the form of the use of a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Daschle#Withdrawal" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">car and chauffeur</a> provided by one of his lobbying clients—the vetting still captured those issues during the confirmation process. None of Obama’s appointees had a criminal conflicts of interest violation or any other criminal violations after taking office. Not one.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">Time will tell, but I would not be surprised if this new administration sets records for the number of indictments, convictions, and prison sentences. Controlling the Justice Department and Congress won’t be enough to insulate them from prosecution. And it’s quite possible that members of his own family are risk of criminal liability if more is investigated about <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-jr-syria-russia-2016-11" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">Don Jr.’s secret meetings with Russian officials</a> <em style="box-sizing:border-box">during the campaign</em>, or his son-in-law <a href="http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/1/9/14205898/jared-kushner-white-house-conflicts-anbang" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">Jared Kushner’s own conflicts of interest</a>, including pursuing a business deal just <span style="box-sizing:border-box">weeks </span><em style="box-sizing:border-box">after </em><span style="box-sizing:border-box">the election</span> with a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/07/us/politics/jared-kushner-trump-business.html" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">Chinese company that had already been blocked from doing business in the U.S.</a>, after his role in the administration was already being discussed, which was <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/09/politics/jared-kushner-to-be-named-senior-adviser-to-the-president/" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">finally officially announced</a> a few days ago. Before the next four years are over, we could have another president resign in the face of impeachment, particularly if the public disgust grows great enough for Democrats to defy odds and retake the House and Senate in 2018. But since this president seems impervious to shame, he may well try to weather the storm, which could well result in the first impeachment and conviction and involuntary removal from office of a sitting president. (And if that happens, will Pence pardon Trump the way Ford pardoned Nixon? I guess it depends on whether he sees greater opportunity with Trump’s rabid base or with more mainstream voters.)</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">When Richard Nixon resigned in 1974, no more than 15 Republican senators still supported him. At the time there were 42 members of the GOP caucus (including a third party senator who caucused with the GOP), which means that nearly two-thirds of the GOP caucus in the Senate had turned against him. The current GOP crop seems far more partisan than in 1974, but you never know when Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell decide to cut their losses, especially if the tide sweeps away their majority in two years. Lord knows, they probably already have enough evidence to seek impeachment. It’s just a question of finding the will. </p><h2 style="box-sizing:border-box;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";font-weight:500;line-height:40pt;color:inherit;margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:30px">Criminal actions included in this data</h2><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px">This list was compiled from Wikipedia’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_federal_political_scandals_in_the_United_States" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(153,107,61)">List of Federal Political Scandals in the United States</a>. I did not research each individual case, so the numbers of those who served prison sentences may be an undercount if it was not specifically noted on Wikipedia’s list. </p><h3 style="box-sizing:border-box;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";font-weight:500;line-height:30pt;color:inherit;margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:24px">President Barack Obama’s Administration</h3><ul style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:10px"><li style="box-sizing:border-box">No appointed officials have faced criminal prosecution.</li></ul><h3 style="box-sizing:border-box;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";font-weight:500;line-height:30pt;color:inherit;margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:24px">President George W. Bush’s Administration</h3><ul style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:10px"><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Felipe Sixto</strong>—Office: Special Assistant for Intergovernmental Affairs as well as Duty Director at the Office of Public Liaison. Crime: Misuse of grant money from the U.S. Agency for International Development from before he took office. Result: conviction and imprisonment</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Scott Bloch</strong>—Office: head the United States Office of Special Counsel. Crime: pleaded guilty to criminal contempt of Congress for withholding information from a congressional investigation. Result: conviction and imprisonment</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Lewis “Scooter” Libby</strong>—Office: Chief of Staff to Vice President Dick Cheney. Crime: perjury and obstruction of justice in the Valerie Plame case. Sentence: imprisonment (commuted by George W. Bush)</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">John Korsmo</strong>—Office: chairman of the Federal Housing Finance Board. Crime: pleaded guilty to lying to Congress. Result: convicted but not imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Darleen A. Druyun</strong>—Office: Principal Deputy Undersecretary of the Air Force. Crime: pleaded guilty to inflating the price of contracts to favor her future employer, Boeing. Result: convicted and imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">David Safavian</strong>—Office: General Services Administration Chief of Staff. Crime: found guilty of blocking justice and lying in the Jack Abramoff Scandal. Result: convicted and imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Roger Stillwell</strong>—Office: Staff in the Department of the Interior. Crime: Pleaded guilty to participating in the Jack Abramoff scandal. Result: convicted (imprisonment suspended)</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">J. Steven Griles</strong>—Office: Deputy to the Secretary of the Interior. Crime: pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in the Jack Abramoff Scandal. Result: convicted and imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Italia Federici</strong>—Office: staff to the Secretary of the Interior, and President of the Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy. Crime: pled guilty to tax evasion and obstruction of justice. Resulted: convicted but not imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Jared Carpenter</strong>—Office: Vice-President of the Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy. Crime: pled guilty to income tax evasion. Result: convicted and imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Mark Zachares</strong>—Office: staff in the Department of Labor. Crime: bribed by Abramoff and guilty of conspiracy to defraud. Result: convicted but not imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Robert E. Coughlin</strong>—Office: Deputy Chief of Staff, Criminal Division of the Justice Department. Crime: pleaded guilty to conflict of interest after accepting bribes from Jack Abramoff. Result: convicted but not imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Kyle Foggo</strong>—Office: Executive director of the CIA. Crime: was convicted of honest services fraud in the awarding of government contracts. Result: convicted and imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Claude Allen</strong>—Office: Advisor on Domestic Policy. Crime: series of felony thefts in retail stores. Result: convicted by not imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Lester Crawford</strong>—Office: Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. Crime: pleaded guilty to conflict of interest. Result: convicted but not imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Bernard Kerik</strong>—Office: nominated to be Secretary of Homeland Security but confirmation derailed. Crime: employing an undocumented nanny two and other improprieties, and later two counts of tax fraud and five counts of lying to the federal government. Result: convicted and imprisoned</li></ul><h3 style="box-sizing:border-box;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";font-weight:500;line-height:30pt;color:inherit;margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:24px">President Bill Clinton’s Administration</h3><ul style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:10px"><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Mike Espy</strong>—Office: Secretary of Agriculture: Crime: indicted on 30 counts of receiving improper gifts. Result: found innocent of all charges</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Ronald Blackley</strong>—Office: Chief of Staff to the Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy. Crime: perjury. Result: Convicted and imprisoned</li></ul><h3 style="box-sizing:border-box;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";font-weight:500;line-height:30pt;color:inherit;margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:24px">President George H. W. Bush’s Administration</h3><ul style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:10px"><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Catalina Vasquez Villalpando</strong>—Office: Treasurer of the United States. Crime: pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and tax evasion. Result: convicted and imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Iran-Contra Affair pardons</strong>—President George H. W. Bush granted clemency to five convicted government officials from the Reagan Administration as well as to Caspar Weinberger, whose trial had not yet begun. This action prevented any further investigation into the matter, potentially protecting Bush from being personally implicated. (Results tallied under the Reagan administration.)</li></ul><h3 style="box-sizing:border-box;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";font-weight:500;line-height:30pt;color:inherit;margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:24px">President Ronald Reagan’s Administration</h3><ul style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:10px"><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Melvyn Paisley</strong>—Office: Assistant Secretary of the Navy. Crime: pleaded guilty to accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes. Result: convicted and imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">James E. Gaines</strong>—Office: Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy. Crime: accepting an illegal gratuity, and theft and conversion of government property. Result: convicted and imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Victor D. Cohen</strong>—Office: Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force. Crime: pleaded guilty to accepting bribes and conspiring to defraud the government, the 50th conviction obtained under the Operation Ill Wind probe. Result: convicted and imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">James G. Watt</strong>—Office: Secretary of Interior. Crime: charged with 25 counts of perjury and obstruction of justice. Result: convicted but not imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Deborah Gore Dean</strong>—Office: Executive Assistant to Samuel Pierce, Secretary of Housing & Urban Development. Crime: 12 counts of perjury, conspiracy, bribery. Result: convicted and imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Philip D. Winn</strong>—Office: Assistant Secretary of HUD. Crime: pleaded guilty to bribery. Result: convicted by not imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Thomas Demery</strong>—Office: Assistant Secretary of HUD. Crime: pleaded guilty to bribery and obstruction. Result: convicted but not imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Joseph A. Strauss</strong>—Office: Special Assistant to the Secretary of HUD. Crime: convicted of accepting payments to favor Puerto Rican land developers. Result: convicted but not imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Silvio D. DeBartolomeis</strong>—Office: Assistant Secretary of HUD. Crime: convicted of perjury and bribery. Result: convicted but not imprisoned.</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Lyn Nofziger</strong>—Office: White House Press Secretary. Crime: indicted for lobbying. Result: convicted, but conviction overturned on appeal.</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Caspar Weinberger</strong>—Office: Secretary of Defense. Crime: indicted on two counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice relating to the Iran-Contra Affair. Result: indicted by pardoned by George H. W. Bush before trial</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Robert C. McFarlane</strong>—Office: National Security Adviser. Crime: convicted of withholding evidence in Iran-Contra Affair. Result: convicted but not imprisoned, later pardoned by George H. W. Bush</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Elliott Abrams</strong>—Office: Assistant Secretary of State. Crime: convicted of withholding evidence in the Iran-Contra Affair. Result: convicted but not imprisoned, later pardoned by George H. W. Bush</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Alan D. Fiers</strong>—Office: Chief of the CIA’s Central American Task Force. Crime: convicted of withholding evidence. Result: convicted but not imprisoned, later pardoned by George H. W. Bush</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Clair George</strong>—Office: Chief of Covert Ops-CIA. Crime: convicted on 2 charges of perjury relating to the Iran-Contra Affair. Result: convicted but pardoned by George H. W. Bush before sentencing</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Oliver North</strong>—Office: National Security Council staff member. Crime: convicted of accepting an illegal gratuity, obstruction of a congressional inquiry, and destruction of documents. Result: conviction overturned because it conflicted with the immunity he had been granted in exchange for congressional testimony </li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">John Poindexter</strong>—Office: National Security Advisor. Crime: convicted of 5 counts of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, perjury, defrauding the government, and the alteration and destruction of evidence. Result: conviction overurned by the Supreme Court</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Duane Clarridge</strong>—Office: CIA senior official. Crime: indicted on 7 counts of perjury and false statements relating to the Iran-Contra Affair. Result: indicted but pardoned before trial by George H. W. Bush</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Richard V. Secord</strong>—Office: major general in the Air Force. Crime: pleaded guilty for organizing the Iran arms sales and Contra aid in the Iran-Contra Affair. Result: convicted but not imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Thomas G. Clines</strong>—Office: intelligence official. Crime: convicted on four income tax counts, including underreporting of income to the IRS and lying about not having foreign accounts. Result: convicted and imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Joseph F. Fernandez</strong>—Office: CIA Station Chief of Costa Rica. Crime: Indicted on five counts in 1988. Result: case dismissed when Attorney General Dick Thornburgh refused to declassify information needed for his defense in 1990.</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Michael Deaver</strong>—Office: Deputy Chief of Staff. Crime: pleaded guilty to perjury related to lobbying activities. Result: convicted but not imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Anne Gorsuch Burford</strong>—Head of the EPA. Crime: Cut the EPA staff by 22 percent and refused to turn over documents relating to the Sewergate Scandal to Congress. Result: convicted of contempt but not imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Rita Lavelle</strong>—Office: an EPA Administrator. Crime: misused “superfund” monies and was convicted of perjury. Result: convicted and imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Melvyn R. Paisley</strong>—Office: Assistant Secretary of the Navy. Crime: participating in the Operation Ill Wind defense procurement scandal. Result: convicted and imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">J. Lynn Helms</strong>—Office: head of the Federal Aviation Administration. Crime: plea bargained charges by the Securities and Exchange Commission with diverting $1.2 million from an issue of tax-exempt municipal bonds to his own personal use. Result: convicted but not imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Peter Voss</strong>—Office: US Postal Service Board of Governors. Crime: theft and accepting payoffs. Result: convicted and imprisoned</li></ul><h3 style="box-sizing:border-box;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";font-weight:500;line-height:30pt;color:inherit;margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:24px">President Jimmy Carter’s Administration</h3><ul style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:10px"><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Bert Lance</strong>—Director of OMB. Crime: indicted for misuse of funds during the sale of a Georgia bank to BCCI. Result: acquitted of all nine counts</li></ul><h3 style="box-sizing:border-box;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";font-weight:500;line-height:30pt;color:inherit;margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:24px">President Gerald Ford’s Administration</h3><ul style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:10px"><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Earl Butz</strong>—Office: Secretary of Agriculture. Crime: charged with tax evasion for failing to report more than $148,000 in 1978. Result: convicted and imprisoned</li></ul><h3 style="box-sizing:border-box;font-family:"Open Sans Condensed";font-weight:500;line-height:30pt;color:inherit;margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:24px">President Richard Nixon’s Administration</h3><ul style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:10px"><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Spiro Agnew</strong>—Office: Vice President. Crime: convicted of tax fraud stemming from bribery charges, accepting a plea bargain that allowed for no prison time in exchange for his resignation. Result: convicted but not imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Watergate</strong>—Burglary and “bugging” of the Democratic Party National Headquarters at the Watergate Hotel and subsequent cover up. Crime: 69 government officials were charged and 48 convicted or pleaded guilty. Result: 48 convictions, at least 13 prison sentences.<ul style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">John N. Mitchell</strong>—Office: Attorney General. Crime: convicted of perjury. Result: convicted and imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Richard Kleindienst</strong>—Office: Attorney General. Crime: convicted of “refusing to answer questions.” Result: convicted and imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Jeb Stuart Magruder</strong>—Office: Head of Committee to Re-elect the President. Crime: pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy. Result: convicted and imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Frederick C. LaRue</strong>—Office: Advisor to Attorney General John Mitchell. Crime: convicted of obstruction of justice. Result: convicted and imprisoned.</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">H. R. Haldeman</strong>—Office: Chief of Staff for Nixon. Crime: convicted of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and perjury. Result: Convicted and imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">John Ehrlichman</strong>—Office: Counsel to Nixon. Crime: convicted of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and perjury. Result: Convicted and imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Egil Krogh</strong>—Office: aide to John Ehrlichman. Crime: crimes relating to Watergate. Result: convicted and imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">John W. Dean III</strong>—Office: counsel to Nixon. Crime: convicted of obstruction of justice. Result: convicted and imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Dwight L. Chapin</strong>—Office: deputy assistant to Nixon. Crime: convicted of perjury. Result: convicted and imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Herbert W. Kalmbach</strong>—Office: personal attorney to Nixon. Crime: convicted of illegal campaigning. Result: convicted and imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Charles W. Colson</strong>—Office: special counsel to Nixon. Crime: convicted of obstruction of justice. Result: convicted and imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Herbert L. Porter</strong>—Office: aide to the Committee to Re-elect the President. Crime: convicted of perjury. Result: convicted and imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">G. Gordon Liddy</strong>—Office: Special Investigations Group. Crime: convicted of burglary. Result: convicted and imprisoned</li></ul></li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Maurice Stans</strong>—Office: Secretary of Commerce. Crime: pleaded guilty to 3 counts of violating the reporting sections of the FEC Act and 2 counts of accepting illegal campaign contributions. Result: convicted but not imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Harry Shuler Dent</strong>—Office: Presidential Counsel and Strategist Harry Shuler Dent. Crime: pleaded guilty to violations of Federal election law. Result: convicted but not imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Jack A. Gleason</strong>—Office: White House Aide. Crime: pleaded guilty to violations of Federal election law concerning an illegal fund-raising operation run by the White House. Result: convicted but not imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Richard Helms</strong>—Office: Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Crime: pleaded no contest to misleading Congress concerning assassination attempts in Cuba, anti-government activities in Chile and the illegal surveillance of journalists in the US. Result: convicted but not imprisoned</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box">Donald Segretti</strong>—Office: Political Operative for the Committee to Re-Elect the President. Crime: ran a “ratfucking” campaign of dirty tricks for Nixon, pleaded guilty to distributing illegal (forged) campaign literature. Result: convicted and imprisoned.</li></ul></div></div></div><div><br></div>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div>   <div style="height:auto;width:auto">   <div> <div><div><br></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><font size="2"><span style="font-size:10pt"><div><span style="font-size:13.3333px">A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in. </span><br style="font-size:13.3333px"><br style="font-size:13.3333px"><span style="font-size:13.3333px">-Greek proverb</span></div><div><br>
“Enlightenment is man’s emergence from his self-imposed immaturity. 
Immaturity is the inability to use one’s understanding without guidance 
from another. This immaturity is self- imposed when its cause lies not 
in lack of understanding, but in lack of resolve and courage to use it 
without guidance from another. Sapere Aude! ‘Have courage to use your 
own understand-ing!—that is the motto of enlightenment.<br>
<br>
--Immanuel Kant<br>
<br><br></div></span></font></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
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