Political Scandal News
Coverage of government scandals, corruption, and accountability. The Daily Signal reports on scandals with conservative analysis and commentary.
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Fighting Corruption Is Critical During Coronavirus Recovery
Corruption is a serious threat to freedom. One of the main costs of corruption is the loss of economic freedom—that is, the loss of the ability of individuals to decide for themselves how best to achieve their dreams and aspirations and those of their families. In the wake of the global COVID-19-related recession, protecting economic…Anthony B. Kim -
Scandal-Plagued Broadcast Agency Poses Security Risks, Audit Finds
The embattled agency that oversees Voice of America and other federally funded media outlets has failed for a decade to adequately vet staff, creating a systemic security risk, a new government audit says. The joint report by the Office of Personnel Management and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence was released Tuesday by…Fred Lucas -
4 Big Unanswered Questions About the ‘Unmasking’ Scandal
As the “unmasking” scandal unfolds, the Senate Judiciary Committee will delve into the conduct of the Obama administration and the intelligence community in secretly investigating the incoming Trump administration. Two Senate Republicans released previously secret information Wednesday listing top Obama administration officials who made the same request in early 2017: that the intelligence community disclose…Fred Lucas -
Peloton ‘Scandal’ Shows How Mentally Unfit We’ve Become
We are fast approaching the end of 2019, and as we close the book on a turbulent decade, nothing summarizes the state of our culture and our unhealthy relationship with contrived outrage quite like the Peloton ad controversy and the wave of hysteria that has followed in its wake. Imagine if we could channel that…Armstrong Williams -
Impeachment Evidence Not Even Close to Bribery, Heritage Legal Expert Says
As impeachment hearings draw to a close, witnesses have failed to produce hard evidence of wrongdoing on the part of President Donald Trump. Heritage Foundation senior legal fellow Hans von Spakovsky will join the podcast to unpack what we learned this week—and what to expect going forward. Read a lightly edited transcript of the interview,…Katrina Trinko -
Staying in Trump’s DC Hotel Does Not Equal Corruption. Here’s Another Possibility.
Why do so many international jet-setters, European diplomats, venture capitalists, and other well-heeled travelers stay at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C.? Could it have anything to do with the fact that it’s just better than virtually every other hotel in town? Apparently, that thought has never crossed the minds of those who claim…Cully Stimson -
Trump Calls It a ‘Scandal’ That Democrat Foe Helped Shape Whistleblower Complaint
President Donald Trump called the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee a “fraud” while offering rare praise of The New York Times in a contentious White House press conference in which he assailed the news media for dishonesty as Democrats’ impeachment inquiry advances. Minutes before the president spoke Wednesday, the Times reported that House Intelligence…Fred Lucas -
Rep. Chris Collins Resigns Amid Insider Trading Scandal
Four-term Republican Rep. Chris Collins of New York has resigned from Congress, one day before he was expected to plead guilty to charges of insider trading. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi “is in receipt of a letter of resignation” from Collins, which was to be made effective Tuesday morning when brought to the floor of the…Andrew Kerr -
College Admissions Scandal Ensnares 52nd Defendant and Counting
Fifty-two defendants and counting. That’s how many people have been indicted or otherwise charged in the college admissions and testing-bribery scandal. When the story first broke last spring, we wrote that the first round of indictments had to be the tip of the iceberg, because over time, those in the government crosshairs would sing like…Cully Stimson -
Union Scandal Coincides With GM Auto Workers Strike
Resolving the strike against General Motors that began Monday may be harder because of an internal corruption scandal inside the United Auto Workers. The strike officially began at midnight, when tens of thousands of workers walked off the factory floors of the multinational automobile manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit. Vance Pearson, 58, the UAW’s Region…Kevin Mooney -
There’s a Silver Lining to the Voter Fraud Scandal in Mississippi
It has been a tough time for the city of Canton, Mississippi. In the span of just a few days, two city leaders—including one running to be a judge—were convicted on charges stemming from a far-reaching voter fraud scandal that has ensnared numerous members of the city’s political establishment. So far, seven people—five of them…Jason Snead -
Corruption and Violence Are Crippling Haiti
Haiti is trapped in yet another cycle of violence. In recent months, ongoing street demonstrations protesting government corruption have resulted in a chaotic flurry of vandalism, fires, gunshots, injuries, and death. Blocked roads create difficulties for the distribution of food, water, medicines, and utilities, causing an already-impoverished people even more hardship. This latest round of…James M. Roberts -
College Admissions Bribery Scandal Shows How Higher Ed Culture Has Descended Into Signaling
How much is an elite education worth to you? How about $500,000—and a jail sentence? That’s how much wealthy actresses, business leaders, and financiers have pawned off to bribe their children off to colleges like Stanford University, Yale University, and the University of California. According to The New York Times, actress Lori Loughlin and fashion…Kenny Xu -
College Admissions Scandal Is Likely Tip of the Iceberg
The recently disclosed college admissions scandal has angered everyone because it involves the classic vices of greed, lying, subterfuge, dirty money, snitches, and cheating. It also underscores the notion that the rich play by a different set of rules, and that the college admissions process is not based on merit. By unsealing the indictment and…Cully Stimson -
Amid Liberal Scandals, Media Thinks GOP Pouncing Is Real Story
In the past few weeks, prominent Democrats have endorsed infanticide; admitted to dressing in blackface; called for an end to fossil fuels, airplanes, and farting cows; and trafficked in open anti-Semitism. None of this is a serious problem for many in the media. For members of the media, the real story is that Republicans keep…Ben Shapiro -
Conservative Groups Targeted in Lois Lerner’s IRS Scandal Receive Settlement Checks
MADISON, Wis.—Dozens of conservative organizations are receiving late Christmas presents years after the IRS handed them a lump of coal. The federal government in recent days has been issuing settlement checks to 100 right-of-center groups wrongfully targeted for their political beliefs under the Obama administration’s Internal Revenue Service, according to an attorney for the firm…M.D. Kittle -
Right Side of History: Revisiting Scandals of the Clinton Era With Ken Starr
“The Right Side of History” is a podcast dedicated to exploring current events through a historical lens and busting left-wing myths about figures and events of America’s past. On this week’s episode, hosts Jarrett Stepman and Fred Lucas discuss the Clinton era with Ken Starr, the lead investigator of the Whitewater and Monica Lewinsky scandals…Jarrett Stepman -
Unsealed Choke Point Documents Show Obama Was Far From Scandal-Free
In February 2018, Barack Obama infamously claimed his presidential administration was scandal-free. “We didn’t have a scandal that embarrassed us,” Obama said about a year after leaving office, during closed-door remarks leaked to the press. Conservatives, however, often point to Operation Fast and Furious, the Benghazi terrorist attacks, the IRS tea party scandal, and many…Kelsey Bolar -
The Immigration Scandal No One Is Talking About
Among the least talked about scandals in Washington is how immigration officials spent decades misleading Congress about the number of migrants evading court. I discussed that scandal at length in my last article. In advancing this decadeslong effort, no accounting trick and no false narrative was out of bounds. Never in any year did these…Mark Metcalf -
How to Empower the Labor Department Office That Fights Union Corruption
For too long, many union members have been kept in the dark about their union’s finances. Some unions are run in a transparent, democratic manner, but many others are run autocratically with minimal transparency and accountability. This lack of transparency too often allows unscrupulous union officials to embezzle or misuse union funds; and each year,…Richard McCarty