As the House prepares for a possible investigation of allegations concerning President Clinton, it’s worth taking a look back at how Congress has dealt with the frequent charges of misconduct by its own members. Here are 21 case studies. In most, Congress took little or no official action, leaving the fate of the accused to the voters. This history begins in 1974, but not because episodes of impropriety only go back a quarter-century. In the old days, they simply weren’t reported.
Two large oil reserves—Elk Hills, California, and Teapot Dome, near Casper, Wyoming—had been preserved for the energy needs of the U.S. Navy. Fall persuaded Harding to transfer control of the reserves from the Navy to the Department of the Interior. Then, in 1921–22, without seeking competitive bids, Fall leased Elk Hills to oil tycoon Edward L. Doheny of the Pan American Petroleum Company and Teapot Dome to Harry F. Sinclair of Mammoth Oil. Subsequent congressional investigations into the Teapot Dome Scandal revealed that Fall had received as much as $400,000 in payments and loans as a bribe to facilitate the leases, which were subsequently terminated by Congress.
