Thomas Scudder Page
Encyclopedia
Thomas Scudder Page was Kentucky
's first elected auditor of public accounts, and the first elected official to be tried for corruption in that state. He was born in New York City
and came to Kentucky in 1817. He became a clerk with the Land Office and in 1839 was appointed state auditor by Governor James Clark
.
Under Kentucky's third constitution, auditor became an elected position. Page was elected to the position in 1851 as a Whig
and in 1855 with the Know Nothing
party. He required some official collectors of funds to deposit their collections with him, rather than the state treasurer directly, and in 1859 was sued by the state for embezzling $88,927 (embezzlement was not a criminal offense at the time).
Page declared bankruptcy in 1863 and in 1867 was ordered by the legislature to repay the state $88,000, plus interest and court costs. He lived his the remaining 10 years of his life in destitution in Frankfort, and was buried in Frankfort Cemetery
.
Kentucky
The 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...
's first elected auditor of public accounts, and the first elected official to be tried for corruption in that state. He was born in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and came to Kentucky in 1817. He became a clerk with the Land Office and in 1839 was appointed state auditor by Governor James Clark
James Clark (Kentucky)
James Clark was a 19th-century American politician who served in all three branches of Kentucky's government and in the U.S. House of Representatives. His political career began in the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1807...
.
Under Kentucky's third constitution, auditor became an elected position. Page was elected to the position in 1851 as a Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
and in 1855 with the Know Nothing
Know Nothing
The Know Nothing was a movement by the nativist American political faction of the 1840s and 1850s. It was empowered by popular fears that the country was being overwhelmed by German and Irish Catholic immigrants, who were often regarded as hostile to Anglo-Saxon Protestant values and controlled by...
party. He required some official collectors of funds to deposit their collections with him, rather than the state treasurer directly, and in 1859 was sued by the state for embezzling $88,927 (embezzlement was not a criminal offense at the time).
Page declared bankruptcy in 1863 and in 1867 was ordered by the legislature to repay the state $88,000, plus interest and court costs. He lived his the remaining 10 years of his life in destitution in Frankfort, and was buried in Frankfort Cemetery
Frankfort Cemetery
The Frankfort Cemetery is located on East Main Street in Frankfort, Kentucky. The cemetery is the burial site of Daniel Boone and contains the graves of other famous Americans including seventeen Kentucky governors.-History:...
.