List of state and local political sex scandals in the United States
Encyclopedia
This is a list of sex scandal
s involving American state and local politician
s.
A good guideline may be whether or not an action is, or appears to be, illegal. Conviction for breaking a law is, by definition, a scandal. The finding of a court with jurisdiction is the sole method used to determine a violation of law. Misunderstandings, breaches of ethics, unproven crimes or cover-ups may or may not result in scandals depending on who is bringing the charges, the amount of publicity garnered, and the seriousness of the crime, if any.
Sex between two consenting adults may or may not be illegal (depending on the jurisdiction and circumstances), sex outside of a monogamous marriage, or sex with a person of the same sex may or may not be illegal—but all may fit the definition of a scandal.
Sex scandal
A sex scandal is a scandal involving allegations or information about possibly-immoral sexual activities being made public. Sex scandals are often associated with movie stars, politicians, famous athletes or others in the public eye, and become scandals largely because of the prominence of the...
s involving American state and local politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
s.
Sex, scandal and politics
The dictionary defines scandal as "loss of or damage to reputation caused by actual or apparent violation of morality or propriety." In politics, scandal should be kept separate from 'controversy,' (which implies two differing points of view) and 'unpopularity.' Many politicians make controversial or unpopular decisions, but these are not scandals.A good guideline may be whether or not an action is, or appears to be, illegal. Conviction for breaking a law is, by definition, a scandal. The finding of a court with jurisdiction is the sole method used to determine a violation of law. Misunderstandings, breaches of ethics, unproven crimes or cover-ups may or may not result in scandals depending on who is bringing the charges, the amount of publicity garnered, and the seriousness of the crime, if any.
Sex between two consenting adults may or may not be illegal (depending on the jurisdiction and circumstances), sex outside of a monogamous marriage, or sex with a person of the same sex may or may not be illegal—but all may fit the definition of a scandal.
2010 - 2019
- CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
Governor Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold SchwarzeneggerArnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
(R) On May 16, 2011, the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
revealed that Schwarzenegger had fathered a son ten years earlier with an employee in their household, Mildred 'Patty' Baena. His wife Maria Shriver filed for divorce as soon as his term of governor was over. (2011) See (2000–2009)
- CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
State Senator Roy AshburnRoy AshburnRoy Arthur Ashburn is an American politician from Kern County, California. A Republican, he served as a California State Senator from 2002 to 2010 representing the 18th district. He previously served three terms in the California State Assembly, representing the 32nd district and 12 years on the...
(R) of Bakersfield. The divorced father of four was noted leaving a gay bar and arrested on two counts of DUI. He then admitted he was gay on a local radio station, even though he had voted against several gay rights initiatives. (2010)
- IndianaIndianaIndiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
State Representative Phillip HinklePhillip HinklePhillip D. "Phil" Hinkle is a Republican member of the Indiana House of Representatives from Indianapolis, Indiana representing the 92nd District since 2000. His district includes the western third of Wayne and Pike Townships....
(R) married with two children. "Phil Hinkle, who voted to ban gay marriage," said O'Brien, "was caught propositioning a male prostitute. Now, asked to explain himself, Hinkle said 'I wasn't going to marry him.' Several of his fellow GOP lawmakers debated whether Hinkle should resign. (2011)
- New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
businessman Carl PaladinoCarl PaladinoCarl Pasquale Paladino is an American businessman and political activist from Buffalo, New York. Paladino is the founder and chairman of Ellicott Development Company, a real estate development company he founded in 1973. He was the 2010 Republican nominee for the New York gubernatorial election,...
(R) and candidate for Governor of New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
who was supported by the Tea Party movementTea Party movementThe Tea Party movement is an American populist political movement that is generally recognized as conservative and libertarian, and has sponsored protests and supported political candidates since 2009...
has admitted to his wife and children that he also has a ten-year-old daughter from an extramarital relationshipAffairAffair may refer to professional, personal, or public business matters or to a particular business or private activity of a temporary duration, as in family affair, a private affair, or a romantic affair.-Political affair:...
with his former employee, Suzanne Brady. (2010)
- OhioOhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
state representative Robert MecklenborgRobert MecklenborgRobert Mecklenborg is a former member of the Ohio House of Representatives, who represented the 30th district since his appointment in 2007. As chairman of the state government and elections committee, he introduced a bill to require voters to produce state-issued photo identification in order to...
(R) The 59-year-old married father of three, had a young woman, reportedly a stripper, in his car when he was arrested for DUI on April 23 with traces of Viagra in his system. He resigned on August 2, 2011.
- South CarolinaSouth CarolinaSouth Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
Governor Nikki HaleyNikki HaleyNimrata Nikki Randhawa Haley is the 116th and current Governor of South Carolina. A member of the Republican Party, Haley represented Lexington County in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 2005 to 2010....
(R) was confronted during her campaign by Will Folks, former Press Secretary for disgraced South Carolina Governor Mark SanfordMark SanfordMarshall Clement "Mark" Sanford Jr. is an American politician from South Carolina, who was the 115th Governor of South Carolina from 2003 to 2011....
(R), who claimed that he had an inappropriate physical relationship with Haley "several years ago". Larry Marchant, a consultant for opponent Andre BauerAndré BauerRudolph Andreas "André" Bauer was the 87th Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina from 2003 to 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party...
's gubernatorial campaign, also alleged he and Haley had a one-time sexual encounter. Haley, who is supported by the Tea Party movementTea Party movementThe Tea Party movement is an American populist political movement that is generally recognized as conservative and libertarian, and has sponsored protests and supported political candidates since 2009...
denied the claim, stating "I have been 100 percent faithful to my husband throughout our 13 years of marriage. This claim against me is categorically and totally false."
- Rhode IslandRhode IslandThe state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
State Representative John Carnevale (D) pled not guilty to charges of first and second-degree sexual assault and one count of assault with the intent to commit sexual assault.
- UtahUtahUtah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
State Representative Kevin GarnKevin GarnKevin Stacy Garn is an American politician and is the former Republican majority leader of the Utah House of Representatives. Until his resignation on March 13, 2010 following personal disclosures, he represented District 16 of Utah, which covers Davis County, Utah.Garn attended Weber State...
(R) The Utah House Majority Leader resigned after admitting that in 1985 he had shared a hot tub with 15 year old Cheryl Maher who was naked at the time. (2010)
- WisconsinWisconsinWisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
State Representative Randy HopperRandy HopperRandal B. "Randy" Hopper is a former Republican member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing the 18th District from 2009 until losing his seat to Jessica King in a 2011 recall election. The 18th District includes the cities of Fond du Lac, Oshkosh, and Waupun....
(R) began an affair with Valerie Cass (25) while still married to his wife who has now filed for divorce. Hopper allegedly got his mistress a Wisconsin government job with a 25% wage increase as well as allegedly moving out of his own district. He was recalled and removed from office.(2011)
2000 - 2009
- CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
Governor Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold SchwarzeneggerArnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
(R) Accused of sexual harassment by six women, Schwarzenegger did not confess, but admitted to previous misconduct before he was elected. See 2011. - CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
Assemblyman Michael D. DuvallMichael D. DuvallMichael Dobbins Duvall is a Republican politician and a former member of the California State Assembly. Duvall was first elected as the Assemblyman for California's 72nd District in 2006, and was re-elected in 2008. During his time in the Assembly, he served as the vice chairman of the Utilities &...
(R) resigned September 9 after the married champion of family values was inadvertently videotaped bragging about affairs with two different female lobbyists saying of one of them, "I'm getting into spanking her." (2009) - CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
Mayor of Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
Antonio VillaraigosaAntonio VillaraigosaAntonio Ramón Villaraigosa , born Antonio Ramón Villar, Jr., is the 41st and current Mayor of Los Angeles, California, the third Mexican American to have ever held office in the city of Los Angeles and the first in over 130 years. He is also the current president of the United States Conference of...
(D) extramarital affair with television reporter Mirthala Salinas.(2009) - CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
State Assemblyman Steven N. SamuelianSteven N. SamuelianSteven N. Samuelian was elected to the 29th district of the California State Assembly in 2002. He succeeded Mike Briggs who stepped down to make an unsuccessful run for Congress. He served one term in the assembly, and withdrew from the 2004 campaign. Mike Villines succeeded the assemblyman.-...
(R) During his 2002 run for another term, the married Assemblyman revealed that in 1998 he had been cited by the police for loitering for the purpose of solicitation of prostitution. When he did so again Samuelian faced public calls to resign from members of his own party, which he did. (2002) - Californai Superior Judge in Orange County, Ronald C. Kline (R), pled quilty to possession of child pornography on his home computer and charged with child molestation and is under house arrest on federal charges of possessing child pornography. (2002)
- FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
State Representative Bob AllenBob AllenBob Allen is a former American politician who was a Republican member of the Florida House of Representatives from 2000 until 2007, representing Florida's 32nd district...
(R) anti-gay legislator was convicted of soliciting a police officer in a public men's room. (2007)
- KansasKansasKansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
Attorney General Paul J. MorrisonPaul J. MorrisonPaul J. Morrison is a lawyer and a former Attorney General of Kansas. Morrison attended Washburn University and Washburn School of Law, graduating in 1980. While at Washburn, he was a member of the Kansas Beta Chapter of Phi Delta Theta....
(D) after an extramarital affair with an office administrator, who charged him with sexual harassment. He resigned January 31, 2008.
- KentuckyKentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
Governor Paul PattonPaul E. PattonPaul Edward Patton was the 59th governor of Kentucky, serving from 1995 to 2003. Because of a 1992 amendment to the Kentucky Constitution, he was the first governor eligible to succeed himself in office since James Garrard in 1800...
(D), went public after a former mistress alleged that he retaliated against her business when she ended their relationship. (2002)
- LouisianaLouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
Senator and gubernatorial candidate David VitterDavid VitterDavid Vitter is the junior United States Senator from Louisiana and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, he served in the United States House of Representatives, representing the suburban Louisiana's 1st congressional district. He served as a member of the Louisiana House of...
(R) who took over former Congressman David LivingstonDavid LivingstonDavid Livingston is an American television producer and director. He is mostly known for his involvement in the writing and production of the various modern Star Trek franchises....
's seat when he stepped down due to an adultery charge. At the time Vitter stated "I think Livingston's stepping down makes a very powerful argument that (Bill) ClintonBill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
should resign as well..." Vitters' name was then discovered in the address book of DC Madam Deborah Jeane PalfreyDeborah Jeane PalfreyDeborah Jeane Palfrey operated Pamela Martin and Associates, an escort agency in Washington, D.C. Although she argued that the company's services were legal, she was convicted on April 15, 2008 of racketeering, using the mail for illegal purposes, and money laundering...
. He admitted his adultery and withdrew from his race for governor. (2007) - LouisianaLouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
State Senator Jerry ThomasJerry Thomas (Louisiana politician)Jerry Aroe Thomas is a family practice physician in Franklinton, Louisiana, who served in both houses of the Louisiana State Legislature from 1988 to 2004. In 1979, at the age of twenty-six, Thomas was elected coroner of Washington Parish, the easternmost of the Florida Parishes in the...
(R) admitted in 2003 to charges of lewd conduct with another man in an adult video store in New Orleans. The married father of four, completed the final year of his Senate term and did not run again.
- MarylandMarylandMaryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
State Delegate Robert A. McKeeRobert A. McKeeRobert McKee was the member of the Maryland House of Delegates representing District 2A, which covers Washington County, Maryland. McKee was first elected into office in 1994 when he defeated Richard E. Roulette. In 1998 he ran unopposed. In 2002, he defeated Peter E. Perini, Sr...
(R) pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on September 5, 2008, and was sentenced to a 37-month term, which will be followed by lifetime supervised probation.
- NevadaNevadaNevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
Governor Jim Gibbons (R) was divorced by his wife, Dawn, on grounds of incompatibility alleging that Jim was unfaithful with Durant, and "has had similar relationships with many other women during the marriage". She also referenced her humiliation at standing beside him when her husband attempted to defend himself from allegations of attempted sexual assault shortly before the 2006 election (see List of state and local political scandals in the United States) - NevadaNevadaNevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
State Representative Richard Gardner (R) District 34, while running for State Assemblyman, admitted to molesting his two underage daughters.(2002)
- New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
Governor Jim McGreeveyJim McGreeveyJames Edward "Jim" McGreevey is an American Democratic politician. He served as the 52nd Governor of New Jersey from January 15, 2002, until he resigned from office at 11:59 pm on November 15, 2004. His term was set to expire on January 17, 2006...
(D) admitted that he had an extramarital affair with Golan CipelGolan CipelGolan Cipel was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, in 1968, and grew up in the city of Rishon LeZion.Cipel served in the Israel Defense Forces for five years as a naval officer, eventually rising to the rank of lieutenant. Following his service in the Israeli Navy, Cipel held several positions in government...
an Israeli national, who he appointed as Homeland Security Advisor. When threatened with a lawsuit by Cipel, he admitted his homosexuality and resigned. His second wife immediately filed for divorce. (2004)
- New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Governor Eliot SpitzerEliot Spitzer prostitution scandalThe Eliot Spitzer prostitution scandal began on March 10, 2008, when The New York Times reported that Democratic New York Governor Eliot Spitzer had patronized a prostitution service called Emperors Club VIP...
(D) used the Emperors Club VIPEmperors Club VIPEmperors Club VIP was an international escort agency based in New York City, founded in 2004 by Mark Brener and Cecil Suwal and operated from the bank accounts of QAT Consulting Group, Inc., and QAT International, Inc...
prostitution service to meet $1,000/ night escorts. No charges were filed since no public funds were used, though he resigned anyway. (2008)
- OhioOhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
Attorney General Marc DannMarc DannMarc Dann Marc Dann Marc Dann (born March 12, 1962, in Evanston, Illinois, is an American politician of the Democratic Party. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in 1984 from the University of Michigan and a law degree in 1987 from Case Western Reserve University, and practiced law in Youngstown,...
(D) resigned May 14, 2008, after he admitted he had an affair with a staff member.
- Puerto RicoPuerto RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
Speaker of the House Edison Misla AldarondoEdison Misla AldarondoEdison Misla Aldarondo is a Puerto Rican politician who served as the Speaker of the Puerto Rican House of Representatives from 1997 to 2000. He was a founder of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico . He also served as Representative from the 4th District from 1977 to 2002, and...
(R) after being indicted by the US in January of influence peddling, was found guilty of raping his own 17 year old daughter and her friend after giving them drugs.
- South CarolinaSouth CarolinaSouth Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
Governor Mark SanfordMark SanfordMarshall Clement "Mark" Sanford Jr. is an American politician from South Carolina, who was the 115th Governor of South Carolina from 2003 to 2011....
(R) who had voted for the impeachment of Bill ClintonBill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, admitted during a press conference on June 24, 2009, that he had traveled to Argentina to have an extra-marital affair with an Argentinian reporter. His staff had claimed he was "walking the Appalachian Trail." He then resigned as head of the Republican Governors Association and was censured by the State Legislature.(2009)
- South DakotaSouth DakotaSouth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
state senate candidate and former state legislator Ted KlaudtTed KlaudtTed Alvin Klaudt is a farmer, rancher, convicted rapist, and former Republican member of the South Dakota House of Representatives from Walker, South Dakota, United States...
(R) was convicted on all four counts of second-degree rape. He was sentenced on January 17, 2008, to 44 years in prison as well as 10 years for witness tampering.
- TennesseeTennesseeTennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
State Senator Paul StanleyPaul StanleyStanley Harvey Eisen , better known by his stage name Paul Stanley, is an American hard rock guitarist, singer, musician, painter and songwriter best known for being the rhythm guitarist and primary lead vocalist of the rock band Kiss. He is the writer or co-writer of many of the band's...
(R) a fervent family values advocate, resigned from his position due to an affair with Mckensie Morrison, 22. "Whatever I stood for and advertised I still believe to be true and just because I fell far short of what God's standard was for me and my wife, doesn't mean that standard is reduced in the least," says Stanley. He resigned August 10, 2009
- TennesseeTennesseeTennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
State Representative Keith Westmoreland (R) committed suicide after arrest on seven counts of lewd and lascivious behavior (exposing himself) to a crowd in Florida which included minors.
- UtahUtahUtah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
State Representative Katherine Bryson (R) was caught with a male lover on a surveillance camera her then husband had set up to catch a "burglar." (2004) - UtahUtahUtah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
State Representative Brent Parker (R) Parker abruptly walked off the Utah House of Representatives floor in the middle of the legislative session and submitted his handwritten resignation when it was about to be revealed he had been arrested for soliciting gay sex.
- Washington State Representative Richard CurtisRichard Curtis (politician)Richard Curtis is an American politician from La Center, Washington. He served as a Republican member of the Washington State House of Representatives from 2005 to 2007...
(R) married with two children, voted against several gay rights proposals until blackmailed and outed by a male prostitute. He resigned soon after. (2007) - Washington Mayor of Spokane James E. WestJames E. West (politician)James Elton "Jim" West was an American politician. In 2005, while Mayor of Spokane, Washington, he was the target of allegations of the sexual abuse of boys twenty years earlier. These allegations became public after West became a target of a sting operation conducted by his hometown newspaper,...
(R) was married briefly and as a State Senator voted against several gay rights proposals. Faced with charges of past child molestation and being discovered on a gay website, West was recalled from his position and resigned.(2005)
- West VirginiaWest VirginiaWest Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
Governor Bob WiseBob WiseRobert Ellsworth "Bob" Wise, Jr. is an American politician. A Democrat, Wise served as the 33rd Governor of West Virginia from January 2001 to January 2005.-Early life:...
(D) Admitted to an affair with a female state employee. (2003)
- WisconsinWisconsinWisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
Mayor of RacineRacine, WisconsinRacine is a city in and the county seat of Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city had a population of 82,196...
Gary Becker (D) charged with five child-sex felonies after being arrested by the FBI at a mall trying to meet a 14-year-old girl (January 16, 2009). He was convicted and received a three year felony prison sentence.
1990-1999
- GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
Attorney General Mike BowersMike Bowers-Early Life:Michael Joseph Bowers was a long-serving Attorney General of Georgia before switching parties and mounting an unsuccessful campaign for Georgia Governor. He now practices law with Balch & Bingham in Atlanta, Georgia.Bowers graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1963 and...
(R) ran for the RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
gubernatorial nomination, when he admitted he had a decade-long extramarital affair with his secretary, a former Playboy ClubPlayboy ClubThe Playboy Club initially was a chain of nightclubs and resorts owned and operated by Playboy Enterprises. The first club opened at 116 E. Walton Street in downtown Chicago, Illinois, United States, on February 29, 1960. Each club generally featured a Living Room, a Playmate Bar, a Dining Room...
waitress. Anne Davis stated the romance had been active as recently as six weeks prior to Bowers' June 5, 1997 announcement. (1998)
- MinnesotaMinnesotaMinnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
gubernatorial candidate Jon GrunsethJon GrunsethJon Grunseth was a Minnesota businessman and politician and the 1990 Independent-Republican nominee for Governor of Minnesota. Grunseth won his party's endorsement and won its primary election, but was forced to quit the race nine days before election day in the wake of a scandal.Grunseth, the...
(R-MN) during the election race is was revealed that Grunseth had invited three then-teenaged friends of his daughter, as well as his daughter herself, to go skinny-dipping in the pool at his home. Facing certain defeat, Grunseth withdrew from the race eight days before election. (1990)
- New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Mayor Rudi Giuliani (R-NY) During his marriage to second wife Donna HanoverDonna HanoverDonna Hanover is an American journalist, radio and television personality, television producer, and actress, who appears on WOR radio in New York City and the Food Network. From 1994 through 2001 she was First Lady of New York City, as the then-wife of Rudy Giuliani...
Giuliani began a secret relationship with Judith NathanJudith NathanJudi Ann "Judith" Stish Giuliani is a registered nurse, fundraiser for charitable organizations, former Managing Director of Changing Our World, founding board member of the Twin Towers Fund, and the wife of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani...
On May 10, 2000, Giuliani called a press conference to announce that he intended to separate from Hanover. Hanover, however, had not been told about his plans before hand, an omission for which he was widely criticized.
- TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
State Representative Drew NixonDrew NixonDrew Eldred Nixon is a former Texas state senator from Carthage, the seat of Panola County in east Texas, who served from 1995 to 2001. He is largely known for a tabloid sex scandal....
(R) was convicted of soliciting oral sex in 1997.
1980-1989
- CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
State Senator John G. SchmitzJohn G. SchmitzJohn George Schmitz was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives and California State Senate from Orange County, California. He was also a member of the John Birch Society...
(R) who resigned when his extramarital affair, which resulted in 2 offspring that he refused to accept or care for, became public. (1982) - New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
State Senator Guy VelellaGuy VelellaGuy John Velella was a Republican New York State Senator from The Bronx.A political leader, state assemblyman, and state senator for over 30 years, Velella was indicted in 2002 with 25 counts of bribery and conspiracy for allegedly accepting at least $137,000 in exchange for steering public-works...
(R) In 1986 Velella's supporters distributed campaign literature that championed him as advocate of family values and criticized liberal Democrats for undermining sexual morality. In 1987, Velella admitted that he had fathered a child out of wedlock with a woman in Albany with whom he had a long-time affair. - Washington Thurston County Party Chairman Paul IngramPaul IngramThe Thurston county ritual abuse case was a case in which Paul Ingram, county Republican Party Chairman of Thurston County, Washington and the Chief Civil Deputy of the Sheriff's department, was accused by his daughters of sexual abuse, by at least one daughter of satanic ritual abuse and later...
(R) and Chief Civil Deputy of the Sheriff's department: In 1988, he was accused by his daughters of sexual abuse, and by at least one daughter of satanic ritual abuse. In 1996, his son also accused him of abuse from the ages of 4 to 12. He originally pleaded guilty but has since maintained his innocence. After pleading guilty, he attempted to withdraw his plea and requested a trial or clemency but his requests were refused. Ingram was released in 2003 after serving his sentence. The Thurston county ritual abuse case became the basis of the book Remembering Satan by Lawrence WrightLawrence WrightLawrence Wright is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American author, screenwriter, staff writer for The New Yorker magazine, and fellow at the Center for Law and Security at the New York University School of Law...
, and for the TV-movie Forgotten SinsForgotten SinsForgotten Sins was a 1996 television movie based on Lawrence Wright's New Yorker articles and his book Remembering Satan, which was in turn based on the actual case of Paul Ingram. It originally aired on the ABC Network on March 7, 1996. It starred William Devane as Dr...
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See also
- List of federal political scandals in the United States
- List of American federal politicians convicted of crimes
- List of state and local political scandals in the United States
- List of American state and local politicians convicted of crimes
- List of federal political sex scandals in the United States
- List of California public officials charged with crimes
- List of United States senators expelled or censured
- List of United States Representatives expelled, censured, or reprimanded
- List of international political sex scandals
- See http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1721111_1721210,00.html Outing a Political Sex Scandal on Time.com