This list consists of American politicians convicted of crimes either committed or prosecuted while holding office in the federal government. It includes politicians who were convicted or pleaded guilty in a court of law. It applies to federal officeholders, whether elected or appointed.
It does not include politicians involved in unprosecuted scandals (which may or may not have been illegal in nature), or politicians who have only been arrested or indicted.
The list also does not include crimes that occur outside the politician's tenure unless they specifically stem from acts while they were in office. It does not include convictions which were vacated (e.g. Ted Stevens (R)), but does include convictions that were pardoned.
Although the convicted politicians are arranged by presidential terms in chronological order, many of the crimes have little or no connection to who is president. Since the passage of 20th Amendment on January 23, 1933, presidential terms have begun on January 20 of the year following the presidential election; prior to that, they began on March 4.
1776–1897 Matthew Lyon (DR-VT). First congressman to be recommended for censure after spitting on Roger Griswold (Federalist-Connecticut). The censure failed to pass. Separately, found guilty of violating Alien and Sedition Acts and sentenced to four months in jail, during which time he was re-elected (1798). Charles F. Mitchell (R-NY) U.S. Representative from New York's 33rd District was convicted of forgery, sentenced to one year in prison and fined, though he was paroled early due to poor health (1841). Robert Smalls (R-SC) U.S. Representative from South Carolina was charged with accepting a $5,000 () bribe in 1877 in relation to a government printing contract and was found guilty. Smalls was pardoned in 1879 by South Carolina Governor William Simpson.
1901–1909 (Theodore Roosevelt presidency) Legislative branch Joseph R. Burton Senator (R-KS) was convicted of accepting a $2,500 () bribe (1904). John H. Mitchell Senator (R-OR) was involved with the Oregon land fraud scandal, for which he was indicted and convicted while a sitting U.S. Senator (1905). Henry B. Cassel (R-PA) was convicted of fraud related to the construction of the Pennsylvania State Capitol (1909).
1909–1913 (William Howard Taft presidency) Legislative branch William Lorimer Senator (R-IL), The 'blond boss of Chicago' was found guilty of accepting bribes in 1912.
Judicial branch Robert W. Archbald (R) Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, was convicted of corruption in 1912.
1921–1923 (Warren G. Harding presidency) Executive branch Albert Fall (R) Secretary of the Interior who was bribed by Harry F. Sinclair for control of the Teapot Dome federal oil reserves in Wyoming. He was the first U.S. cabinet member to ever be convicted; he served two years in prison (1922).
1923–1929 (Calvin Coolidge presidency) Executive branch William P. MacCracken Jr. (R) Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Aeronautics convicted of contempt of congress for the Air Mail scandal (1934).Daniel D. Lee (1991) "Senator Black's Investigation of the Air Mail 1933-34", The Historian 53: 423–42
Legislative branch John W. Langley (R-KY) convicted of violating the Volstead Act (Prohibition). He had also been caught trying to bribe a Prohibition officer. He was sentenced to two years, after which his wife Katherine G. Langley ran for Congress in his place and won two full terms (1926).
1929–1933 (Herbert Hoover presidency) Legislative branch Harry E. Rowbottom (R-IN) was convicted in Federal court of accepting bribes from persons who sought post office appointments. He served one year in Leavenworth (1931).
1933–1945 (Franklin D. Roosevelt presidency) Legislative branch Michael J. Hogan (R-NY) was convicted of bribery and sentenced to a year and a day in a Federal Penitentiary (1935). George Ernest Foulkes (D-MI) was convicted of bribery (1935).Long, Kim (2008). The Almanac of Political Corruption, Scandals & Dirty Politics. . Donald F. Snow (R-ME) was convicted of bribery (1935). John H. Hoeppel (D-CA) convicted of selling an appointment to the West Point Military Academy. He was fined $1,000 () and sentenced to 4–12 months in jail (1936).
1945–1953 (Harry S. Truman presidency) Legislative branch James M. Curley (D-MA) fined $1,000 () and served six months for fraud before Harry S. Truman commuted the rest of his sentence (1947). Andrew J. May (D-KY) convicted of accepting bribes from a war munitions manufacturer. Was sentenced to 9 months in prison, after which he was pardoned by Truman (1947). J. Parnell Thomas (R-NJ) was convicted of salary fraud and given an 18-month sentence and a fine. He was imprisoned in Danbury Prison. After serving his 18 months he was pardoned by Truman (1950). Walter E. Brehm (R-OH) convicted of accepting contributions illegally from one of his employees. Received a 15-month suspended sentence and a $5,000 () fine (1951).
1953–1961 (Dwight D. Eisenhower presidency) Legislative branch
Orland K. Armstrong (R-MO) was convicted of fraud (1953). Ernest K. Bramblett (R-CA) received a suspended sentence and a $5,000 () fine for making false statements in connection with payroll padding and kickbacks from congressional employees (1954). Thomas J. Lane (D-MA) convicted for evading taxes on his congressional income. Served 4 months in prison, but was re-elected three more times (1956).
1961–1963 (John F. Kennedy presidency) Legislative branch Thomas F. Johnson (D-MD) was convicted of conspiracy and conflict of interest regarding the receipt of illegal gratuities (1962).
1963–1969 (Lyndon B. Johnson presidency) Legislative branch Frank W. Boykin (D-AL) was convicted of conspiracy and conflict of interest (1963). Daniel Brewster (D-MD) pleaded no contest to accepting "an unlawful gratuity without corrupt intent" (1969).
1969–1974 (Richard M. Nixon presidency) Executive branch Watergate (1972–1973) Republican 'bugging' of the Democratic Party National Headquarters at the Watergate Hotel led to a burglary which was discovered. The cover up of the affair by President Richard Nixon (R) and his staff resulted in 69 government officials being charged and 48 pleading guilty, including seven for actual burglary. Eventually, Nixon resigned his position. John N. Mitchell (R) former United States Attorney General, convicted of perjury. Richard Kleindienst (R) United States Attorney General, convicted of obstruction, given one month in jail. H. R. Haldeman (R) White House Chief of Staff, convicted of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and perjury. Served 18 months in prison. John Ehrlichman (R) former White House Counsel, convicted of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and perjury. Served 18 months in prison. Egil Krogh (R) United States Undersecretary of Transportation, sentenced to six months. John Dean (R) White House Counsel, convicted of obstruction of justice, later reduced to felony offenses and served 4 months. Dwight Chapin (R) Secretary to the President of the United States, convicted of perjury. Charles Colson (R) Special Counsel to the President for Public Liaison, convicted of obstruction of justice. Served 7 months. Spiro Agnew (R) Vice President of the United States, pleaded nolo contendere (no contest) to income-tax evasion (1973). Maurice Stans (R) United States Secretary of Commerce, pleaded guilty to three counts of violating the reporting sections of the Federal Election Campaign Act and two counts of accepting illegal campaign contributions and was fined $5,000 (1975).
Legislative branch
Ted Kennedy (D-MA) drove his car into the channel between Chappaquiddick Island and Martha's Vineyard, killing passenger Mary Jo Kopechne. Kennedy pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident and received a suspended sentence of two months (1969). Martin B. McKneally (R-NY) placed on one year's probation and fined $5,000 () for failing to file income tax return. He had not paid taxes for many years prior (1971). Cornelius Gallagher (D-NJ) pleaded guilty to tax evasion, and served two years in prison (1972). J. Irving Whalley (R-PA) received suspended three-year sentence and fined $11,000 () in 1973 for using mails to deposit staff salary kickbacks and threatening an employee to prevent her from giving information to the FBI (1973). Edwin Reinecke (R-CA) convicted of perjury and sentenced to 18 months in prison as part of the Watergate investigation (1973).
1974–1977 (Gerald R. Ford presidency) Executive branch Earl Butz (R) United States Secretary of Agriculture. He was charged with failing to report more than $148,000 of income in 1978. Butz pleaded guilty to the tax evasion charge and was sentenced to 30 days in jail and five years of probation and was ordered to make restitution. He served 25 days behind bars before his release.
Legislative branch John V. Dowdy (D-TX) convicted of perjury and served six months in prison (1973). Richard T. Hanna (D-CA) convicted in an influence-buying scandal (1974). Frank Brasco (D-NY) sentenced to five years in jail and fined $10,000 () for conspiracy to accept bribes from a reputed Mafia figure who sought truck leasing contracts from the Post Office and loans to buy trucks (1974). Bertram Podell (D-NY) pleaded guilty to conspiracy and conflict of interest. He was fined $5,000 () and served four months in prison (1974). James F. Hastings (R-NY) convicted of kickbacks and mail fraud, he also took money from his employees for personal use. Served 14 months at Allenwood penitentiary (1976).
1977–1981 (Jimmy Carter presidency)
Legislative branch
Andrew J. Hinshaw (R-CA) US Representative was convicted of accepting bribes. He served one year in prison (1977). Richard Tonry (D-LA) pleaded guilty to receiving illegal campaign contributions (1977). Charles Diggs (D-MI), convicted on 29 charges of mail fraud and filing false payroll forms which formed a kickback scheme with his staff. Sentenced to three years (1978). J. Herbert Burke (R-FL) pleaded guilty to disorderly intoxication, resisting arrest, and nolo contendere to an additional charge of witness tampering. He was sentenced to three months plus fines (1978). Frank M. Clark (D-PA) pleaded guilty to mail fraud and tax evasion and was sentenced to two years in prison (1979).
1981–1989 (Ronald Reagan presidency) Executive branch
Iran–Contra affair (1985–1986); A secret sale of arms to Iran, to secure the release of hostages and allow U.S. intelligence agencies to fund the Nicaraguan Contras, in violation of the Boland Amendment. Elliott Abrams (R) Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs, convicted of withholding evidence. Given 2 years' probation. Later pardoned by President George H. W. Bush. Michael Deaver (R) White House Deputy Chief of Staff to Ronald Reagan, pleaded guilty to perjury related to lobbying activities and was sentenced to 3 years' probation and fined $100,000 () (1987). Operation Ill Wind was a three-year investigation launched in 1986 by the FBI into corruption by U.S. government and military officials, and private defense contractors. Melvyn Paisley (R) Assistant Secretary of the Navy, was found to have accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes. He pleaded guilty to bribery and served four years in prison. Victor D. Cohen, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, was the 50th conviction obtained under the Ill Wind probe when he pleaded guilty to accepting bribes and conspiring to defraud the government. He was sentenced to 33 months in prison. James E. Gaines, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy, took over when Paisley resigned his office. Gaines was convicted of accepting an illegal gratuity and theft and conversion of government property. He was sentenced to six months in prison. Deborah Gore Dean (R) Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, convicted of fraud (1988).