American political Lovers

Dictionary defines scandal as "loss of or damage to reputation caused by actual or apparent violation of morality or propriety." Scandal is not the same as controversy, which implies two differing points of view, or unpopularity.

An action that is, or appears to be, illegal very often results in scandal. 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 with a person of the same sex, may or may not be illegal, but these often fit the definition of scandal.

American political Lovers:2010–2011

Chris Lee, Representative (R-NY): Resigned hours after a news report that the married Congressman, who strongly promotes family values, had sent a shirtless picture of himself flexing his muscles to a woman via Craigslist, along with flirtatious emails. He did not use a pseudonym or a false email address, but relied on his congressional email for all communication.

Mark Souder, Representative (R-IN): Resigned to avoid an ethics investigation into his admitted extramarital affair with a female staffer. Famously, he and the staffer had made a public video in which they both extolled the virtues of abstinence. (2010)

Eric Massa, Representative (D-NY): Resigned to avoid an ethics investigation into his alleged groping and tickling of a young male staffer. (2010)

American political Lovers:2000–2009

Chip Pickering (R-MS) On July 16, 2009 it was announced that his wife Leisha had filed an alienation of affection lawsuit against Elizabeth Creekmore Byrd, a woman with whom Chip allegedly had an affair. The lawsuit claimed that the adulterous relationship ruined the Pickerings' marriage and his political career. (2009) 

Samuel B. Kent, Federal District Judge in Texas: Appointed by George H.W. Bush in 1990. Accused of sexually harassing two female employees. He was impeached for abusing his authority and imprisoned for 33 months for obstruction of justice.(2009)

John Ensign, Senator (R-NV): Resigned his position as Chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee on June 16, 2009, after admitting he had an affair with Cynthia Hampton, the wife of a close friend, both of whom were working on his campaign. Under investigation, he resigned his seat in Congress 20 months early. (2011) [ In 1998, Senator Ensign had called for President Bill Clinton (D) to resign after admitting to sexual acts with Monica Lewinsky. (2009) 

John Edwards, Senator (D-NC): As a 2008 presidential primary contender, Edwards positioned himself as an honest, family values candidate. His position was seriously undercut when he admitted to an extramarital affair with actress and film producer Rielle Hunter, which produced a child.*Vito Fossella, Representative (R-NY): Arrested for drunk driving. Under questioning, he admitted to an affair with Laura Fay that produced a daughter. He was married to Mary Pat Rowan, with whom he has three children. (2008)

Tim Mahoney, Representative (D-FL): He was elected to the seat of Mark Foley, who resigned following sexual harassment charges from his male congressional interns. Mahoney ran on a campaign promise to make "a world that is safer, more moral." In October 2008, he admitted he placed his mistress, Patricia Allen, on his staff and then fired her, saying, "You work at my pleasure." He then admitted to multiple affairs.

Randall L. Tobias, Deputy Secretary of State (R) and former "AIDS Czar" appointed by George W. Bush: Stated that U.S. funds should be denied to countries that permitted prostitution.  He resigned on April 27, 2007, after confirming that he had been a customer of Deborah Jeane Palfrey, the DC Madam.

Larry Craig, Senator (R-ID): Pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct following his arrest in a Minneapolis airport men's room in June 2007, on a charge of homosexual lewd conduct. Senator Craig had previously stated that "people already know that Bill Clinton is a bad boy — a naughty boy.

Mark Foley, Representative (R-FL): Resigned when accused of sending sexually explicit emails to underage male congressional pages. He was replaced by Tim Mahoney. (2006)

Jeff Gannon (R) a.k.a. James Dale Guckert, a.k.a. "Bulldog": Admitted to White House press conferences as a journalist without proper vetting, and was allowed to ask such sympathetic questions that The Daily Show referred to him as "Chip Rightwingenstein of the Bush Agenda Gazette." Records show he was admitted to the White House numerous times even when there were no press conferences. He later admitted to being a $200/day gay prostitute. (2005)

Brian J. Doyle, (R) Deputy Press Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security was indicted for seducing what he thought was a 14-year-old girl on the Internet; she was actually a sheriff's deputy. On November 17, 2006, he was sentenced to 5 years in prison, 10 years of probation, and was registered as a sex offender.

Jack Ryan, Senate candidate (R-IL): During divorce proceedings in 2004, his wife Jeri Ryan accused him of forcing her to go to public sex clubs and described one as "a bizarre club with cages, whips and other apparatus hanging from the ceiling. Ms. Ryan is better known as Seven of Nine from the TV show Star Trek: Voyager.

David Dreier, Representative (R-CA): Voted against a number of gay rights proposals, but was outed concerning his relationship with his chief of staff. (2004) He is featured in the 2009 documentary film Outrage.

Ed Schrock, Representative (R-VA): Aggressively fought against gay rights programs, but dropped out of his third term race after he was discovered soliciting sex from a male prostitute and finally admitted that he himself was gay. (2004)

Don Sherwood, Representative (R-PA): Failed to win re-election following revelations of a five-year extramarital affair with Cynthia Ore, who accused him of physically abusing her. (2004)

Steven C. LaTourette, Representative (R-OH): Elected in 1994 and had voted to impeach Bill Clinton for the Lewinsky scandal. He himself had a long-term affair with his chief of staff, Jennifer Laptook, while he was married. He married Laptook after his divorce. (2003)

David Vitter, Senator (R-LA): Took over former Senator Robert Livingston's House seat in 1999, who resigned following revelations of an extrmarital affair. At the time, Vitter stated: "I think Livingston's stepping down makes a very powerful argument that (Bill) Clinton should resign as well ..." Vitters' name was then discovered in the address book of the DC Madam Deborah Jeane Palfrey. He admitted his adultery and withdrew from the 2003 gubernatorial race for governor. (2007)

Richard Gardner (R): While he was running as an Assembly candidate in Las Vegas, NV, in 2002, it was revealed that Gardner pleaded guilty in 1988 to three counts of molesting his two daughters. He had also run for office in California.

Gary Condit, Representative (D-CA): His affair with 23-year-old intern Chandra Levy was exposed after Levy disappeared. Her body was found a year later and, in 2008, an ex-felon with no relation to Condit was charged with her murder. (2001)[30] Condit had often demanded that Bill Clinton "come clean" about his affair with Monica Lewinsky.

American political Lovers:1990–1999

Bill Clinton, President (D-AR): Revelations that White House intern Monica Lewinsky had oral sex with Clinton in the Oval Office leading him to famously declare on TV on January 26, 1998 that "I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky." The scandal led to impeachment by the House for perjury, for lying about the affair under oath. He was acquitted in the Senate by 10 votes. (1998)

Newt Gingrich, Representative (R-GA) and leader of the Republican Revolution of 1994: Admitted in 1998 to having had an affair with his intern Callista Bisek, while he was married to his second wife, and at the same time he was leading the impeachment of Bill Clinton for perjury regarding an affair with his intern Monica Lewinsky. (1998)

Henry Hyde, Representative (R-IL): Was chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and one of the House managers who directed the inmpeachment case against Bill Clinton. In 1998, it emerged that he himself had an affair some years earlier, which he dismissed as a "youthful indiscretion" despite being 41 years old at the time of the affair.

Bob Barr, Representative (R-GA): Called for the impeachment of Bill Clinton But his own sexual hypocrisy was later alleged by Hustler publisher Larry Flynt, who claimed that Barr's second wife said he was cheating on her with Barr's soon-to-be third wife.

Robert Livingston, Representative (R-LA): Famously called for the impeachment of Bill Clinton, but resigned after his own extramarital affair was revealed. (1998)

Dan Burton, Representative (R-IN): Speaking of the affairs of Republican Robert Packwood and the unfolding affair of Democrat Bill Clinton, Burton stated: "No one, regardless of what party they serve, no one, regardless of what branch of government they serve, should be allowed to get away with these alleged sexual improprieties . In 1998, Burton was forced to admit that he himself had an affair in 1983 that produced a child.

Helen Chenoweth-Hage, Representative (R-ID): While aggressively calling for the resignation of Bill Clinton,she admitted to her own six-year affair with a married rancher during the 1980s. She explained the difference by saying it was all right since she was single and a private citizen at the time.

Robert Packwood, Senator (R-OR): Was forced to resign his office after 29 women came forward with claims of sexual harassment, abuse, and assaults. His vehement denials of any wrongdoing were eventually contradicted by his own lurid diaries boasting of his sexual conquests. (1995)

Mel Reynolds, Representative (D-IL): Indicted for sexual assault and criminal sexual abuse for a relationship with a 16-year-old campaign volunteer in 1994. He was convicted of 12 counts of sexual assault, obstruction of justice and solicitation of child pornography in 1995

Ken Calvert, Representative (R-CA): Arrested for soliciting a prostitute for oral sex in his car. The champion of the Christian Coalition once said "We can't forgive what occurred between the President and Lewinsky."(1993)

Chuck Robb, Senator (D-VA): Accused of an affair with Miss Virginia USA Tai Collins, which he denied. (1991)

Clarence Thomas, Judge (R): Supreme Court nominee accused by Anita Hill and others of sexual harassment

Arlan Stangeland, Representative (R-MN): Was found to have made hundreds of phone calls to a female lobbyist. Though he denied any romantic involvement, he lost his re-election bid. (1990)

Donald "Buz" Lukens, Representative (R-OH): Resigned before facing an investigation that he fondled a Washington elevator operator. (1990)

American political Lovers:1980–1989

Gus Savage (D-IL): Was accused of trying to force himself on a female Peace Corps worker while in Zaire. No action was taken by the House Ethics Committee after he apologized to her. (1989) 

Barney Frank (D-MA): Reprimanded by the House for fixing 33 parking tickets for Steve Gobie, a male escort who lived with Frank and claimed to have conducted an escort service from Frank's apartment when he was not at home. (1989)

Brock Adams (D-WA): Eight women accused Adams of committing various acts of sexual misconduct, ranging from sexual harassment to rape. (1988)

Paul Ingram, Republican Party Chairman of Thurston County, WA, 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 Wright, and for the TV-movie Forgotten Sins

Jim Bates (D-CA): Made sexual advances toward female staffers. (1988)

Gary Hart, Senator (D-CO): While seeking the Democratic nomination for president, Hart was photographed with model Donna Rice on a boat named 'Monkey Business' during a trip to the Bahamas. His popularity plummeted and he soon dropped out. (1987)

Gerry Studds (D-MA): Censured on July 20, 1983, in Congressional Page sex scandal for having sex with underage congressional pages. (1983)

Dan Crane (R-IL) censured July 20, 1983 in the Congressional Page sex scandal for having sex with under age congressional pages. (1983)

Jon Hinson (R-MS) US Congressman charged with oral sodomy of a male Library of Congress employee. (1981) 

Robert Bauman (R-MD): U.S. Congressman charged with attempting to solicit sex from a 16-year-old male prostitute. (1980)

Thomas Evans (R-DE): U.S. Congressman went golfing in Florida with nude model and lobbyist Paula Parkinson, who suggested her techniques were "tactile." Lost his 1982 re-election bid. (1980)

American political Lovers:1970-1979

Harold Carswell (R): Was nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court (1970) by Richard Nixon, but was not confirmed after publication of a 20-year-old speech: "I yield to no man ... in the firm, vigorous belief in the principles of white supremacy." He was also alleged to be hostile to women's rights, and was later arrested for making homosexual advances in a men's washroom. (1976)

Robert L. Leggett, Congressman (D-CA): Acknowledged that he fathered two illegitimate children by a Congressional secretary, whom he supported financially. He then had an affair with another woman, who was an aide to Speaker Carl Albert.

Fred Richmond (D-NY): Charges that he solicited sex from a 16-year-old boy were dropped after he submitted to counseling. (1978)

Wayne Hays (D-OH): The Elizabeth Ray sex scandal ended his career in 1976. The Washington Post reported that Ray had been on the payroll of a committee run by Hays for two years as a clerk-secretary. During that time, she admitted, her actual job duties were providing Congressman Hays sexual favors: "I can't type, I can't file, I can't even answer the phone." (1976)

John Young, (D-TX): A former female staffer said she received a pay raise after giving in to Young's sexual advances. (1976)

Allan Howe (D-UT): Arrested for soliciting two police officers posing as prostitutes. (1976)

Wilbur Mills (D-AR): Found intoxicated with stripper Fanne Foxe. He was re-elected anyway, but resigned after giving an intoxicated press conference from Foxe's burlesque house dressing room. (1974)

John Schmitz (R-CA) an outspoken Christian and John Bircher, Schmitz admitted to having a second family, but refused to accept or support the two children he produced. He lost the next election. (1970) 

American political Lovers:1900–1969

Strom Thurmond, Senator (R-SC): The noted segregationist and onetime Ku Klux Klan member fathered a child, Essie Mae Washington-Williams, with 15-year-old African American who was employed by the Thurmond family

Walter Jenkins (D): A longtime aide to President Lyndon B. Johnson, Jenkins was arrested for homosexual sex in a YMCA bathroom. (1964)

David I. Walsh, Senator (D-MA): Accused of visiting a male brothel frequented by Nazi spies in Brooklyn in 1942.

Warren Harding, President (R): While married to his wife Florence, he supposedly had affairs with Carrie Phillips, Francis Russell and Nan Britton. (1921–1923)

Newport sex scandal: Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin Delano Roosevelt initiated an investigation into allegations of "immoral conduct" (homosexuality) at the Naval base in Newport, Rhode Island. (1919)

American political Lovers:1776–1899

Grover Cleveland, President (D): During the 1884 election, Cleveland, a bachelor, paid child support to Maria Crofts Halpin, even though he may not have been the father of her son. Halpin was known to have had sexual relationships with a number of men, including Cleveland's close friend and future father-in-law, Oscar Folsom, for whom the child was named. The controversy prompted Cleveland's opponents to adopt the chant, "Ma, ma, where's my pa?" After Cleveland won the election, the chant was answered by, "Gone to the White House, ha, ha, ha!" (1884)

President James Buchanan (D) and future Vice President William Rufus King (D-NC): They were the subject of scandalous gossip alleging a homosexual affair in Washington, D.C. for many years. Andrew Jackson referred to them as Miss Nancy and Aunt Fancy. (1850s)

Petticoat Affair, or Eaton Affair: The husband of Margaret "Peggy" O'Neale, later Margaret O'Neill Eaton, was alleged to have been driven to suicide because of her affair with Andrew Jackson's Secretary of War, John Henry Eaton. (1831)

President Thomas Jefferson: Was accused of fathering the children of his slave Sally Hemmings by the published articles of James Callender. (1802)

Alexander Hamilton-Maria Reynolds Affair: Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton had an affair with Maria Reynolds while both were married to other people. Reynolds' husband blackmailed Hamilton, forcing him to confess and further damaging his already controversial career. (1796)