Throughout American history, there have been many different political scandals that have caused political distrust and reform. Two notable examples are the Watergate scandal and the Whiskey Ring Scandal. The Watergate scandal occurred on June 17, 1972, when five men were arrested in the Watergate complex after they tried to bug the Democratic Party's headquarters electronically. This event was a significant political controversy from 1972 to 1974 during Richard Nixon's presidency, eventually leading to his resignation. There have been many different presidential political scandals that have affected their presidency. Another Political Scandal, starting in 1871 and ending in 1876, was the Whiskey Ring Scandal. It was a conspiracy among whiskey …show more content…
It happened from 1971 to 1976 in St. Louis during Ulysses S. Grant's presidency. It was a conspiracy between Whiskey distillers to bribe U.S. treasury officials to not pay excise taxes on purchased liquor. In 1875, it was revealed to the public that high officials in Ulysses S. Grant's presidential administration had been associated with the distillers. In 1877, 110 people had already been convicted for participating in the Whiskey Ring. In a statement made by Grant, he supported the prosecution of the scandal, but he refused to testify against it. Secretary of Treasury, Benjamin H. Bristow opened a secret investigation that exposed the Whiskey Ring to the public. There was also an allegation that the illegal tax money was going to be used in the Republican party campaign for the reelection of the president. Bristow's investigation eventually led to 238 indictments and 110 conventions. Grant wasn't suspected, but his secretary Orville E. Babcock was indicted, but acquitted after Grant testified his innocence. Babcock eventually received an acquittal. The scandal eventually contributed to a national weariness of Reconstruction, ending Grant's presidency with the Compromise of