'20 Years of Corruption' by Steve

In 2007, former U.S. Representative William J. Jefferson, a Democrat from Louisiana, became a symbol of political scandal when the FBI discovered $90,000 in marked cash hidden in his freezer during a bribery investigation.

This cash was part of a sting operation where Jefferson allegedly accepted bribes to influence business deals in Africa.

He was indicted on 16 counts, including bribery, racketeering, and money laundering, and convicted on 11 of them in 2009.

Jefferson received a 13-year prison sentence, though a 2016 Supreme Court ruling on corruption definitions led to the dismissal of several charges, resulting in his release in 2017 after serving about five years.

By no means was his scrutiny the first for a politician, for example Hazel O’Leary’s tenure as Energy Secretary mortified her boss by jetting away on lavish trips. Her most embarrassing misstep was the Justice Department examining Democratic moneyman Johnny Chung’s allegations that O’Leary met with Chinese officials in return for his $25,000 “donation” to a charity she supported called Africare.

But Jefferson’s case drew national attention and raised questions about accountability in public office, particularly among elected officials from underrepresented groups.

Since Jefferson's scandal, there have been several high-profile cases involving Democratic politicians accused or convicted of misconduct while in office.
Public perceptions of corruption often align with partisan biases, with polls showing Americans viewing the opposing party as more corrupt—nearly 80% of both Democrats and Republicans believe corruption is a serious issue among presidents from the other side.
With that in mind, focusing on documented cases involving Democrats since 2007, drawing from verifiable convictions, indictments, and scandals, while noting that allegations do not always lead to guilt, it’s not a good look for civic leaders.

Beyond Jefferson, several Democratic members of Congress have faced criminal convictions. Chaka Fattah, a long-serving representative from Pennsylvania, was convicted in 2016 on 23 counts of racketeering, fraud, and money laundering.

The charges stemmed from schemes to misuse campaign funds, nonprofit grants, and federal money for personal gain, including repaying illegal loans. Fattah, who had been in office since 1995, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and resigned amid the scandal.

Jesse Jackson Jr., son of civil rights leader Jesse Jackson and an Illinois congressman, pleaded guilty in 2013 to wire fraud and conspiracy for misusing over $750,000 in campaign funds on personal luxuries like fur capes and Michael Jackson memorabilia.

He served about two years in prison. His wife, Sandi Jackson, a Chicago alderman, was also convicted in the same scheme.

Corrine Brown, a Florida representative, was convicted in 2017 on 18 counts of fraud and tax evasion related to a sham charity that funneled donations for personal use.
She served nearly three years before her conviction was overturned on appeal in 2021 due to a juror issue, though she later pleaded guilty to tax fraud in a plea deal.
These cases highlight patterns of financial misconduct, while broader databases of legislator misconduct, tracking 504 instances since 1789, include ethics violations alongside crimes. Democratic mayors in major cities have been involved in several corruption cases since 2007, often involving misuse of public funds or bribery. Ray Nagin, former New Orleans mayor, was convicted in 2014 on 20 counts of bribery and fraud for accepting kickbacks from contractors during Hurricane Katrina recovery.
He served nine years in prison.

Kwame Kilpatrick, Detroit's mayor, resigned in 2008 amid a perjury scandal but was convicted in 2013 on 24 federal counts of racketeering and extortion in a broader corruption probe.

Known as the "Hip-Hop Mayor," he spent over seven years incarcerated.

In Baltimore, Sheila Dixon was convicted in 2009 of embezzling gift cards meant for needy families, leading to her resignation.

Her successor, Catherine Pugh, pleaded guilty in 2019 to conspiracy and tax evasion for fraudulent book sales tied to city contracts, serving three years.
Washington, D.C. Mayor Marion Barry was arrested in an FBI sting operation at the Vista Hotel, where he was videotaped smoking crack cocaine with a former model. A federal grand jury later indicted him on three felony counts of perjury (for lying to investigators) and five misdemeanor counts of cocaine possession stemming from multiple incidents.

Barry was sentenced to six months in federal prison. Despite the scandal, he later staged a political comeback, serving a fourth term as mayor from 1995 to 1999 and earning the nickname "Mayor for Life."
 
More recently, Chokwe Antar Lumumba, mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, was indicted in 2024 on federal bribery charges alongside the local DA for allegedly accepting bribes from developers.

Critics argue these cases reflect systemic issues in underfunded cities, but some see a pattern of Democrat leaders.

Police Chief incidents include Oakland's police department facing multiple scandals under various chiefs, including resignations amid sexual misconduct probes in the 2010s.

In Memphis, the department was investigated for civil rights violations in 2024 under Chief Cerelyn "CJ" Davis. The probe focused on excessive force patterns.
Carmen Best, Seattle's police chief, left her post, in the midst of protests against police brutality in her city.

Best announced her resignation after the city council approved a proposal to slash the police department budget by $4 million and cut as many as 100 officers from the force.

DC’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Pamela Smith announced her resignation just days before federal lawmakers criticized her leadership. A report from the House Oversight Committee accuses her of coercing officers to manipulate crime data.

District Attorneys: Fani Willis, Letitia James, and Others

Fulton County DA Fani Willis, a Democrat, has been embroiled in controversy over her handling of the Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump. In 2024, she was disqualified from the case due to an alleged improper romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, which raised conflict-of-interest concerns.
She was also fined $54,000 in 2025 for violating Georgia's open records act by withholding documents.

New York AG Letitia James, also a Democrat, faced federal indictment in October 2025 for bank fraud and false statements related to misrepresenting a Virginia property purchase to secure a better loan.

James denies wrongdoing, calling it politically motivated.

Other DAs include Marilyn Mosby (Baltimore), convicted in 2024 of mortgage fraud for lying on loan applications, serving home detention after a pardon request.
Jody Owens (Jackson, MS) was indicted in 2024 alongside Mayor Lumumba.

Broader Context and Non-Partisan Perspective

In late 2017, amid the #MeToo movement, that the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights (formerly Office of Compliance) had paid out over $17 million in taxpayer funds since 1997 to settle hundreds of workplace disputes across the legislative branch, including some involving sexual harassment claims against members of Congress or their staff.

Known public cases involved members like Blake Farenthold (R-Tex., $84,000 taxpayer-funded settlement) and John Conyers (D-Mich., $27,000 from office funds),

In total, corruption erodes trust, with 70% of Americans believing ordinary people have too little influence compared to moneyed interests according to Pew research.

Addressing it requires systemic reforms like transparency and campaign finance limits, applicable to all parties. The cases since Jefferson underscore the need for vigilance, but corruption is a human failing, not a partisan or racial one. However, when a representative of a minority constituency goes down for corruption it hurts the whole community’s character that MLK had such high aspirations for.

From documented federal congressional cases since 2007 suggest around 15-20 indictments total including Republicans (examples include): Chris Collins (R), Duncan Hunter (R), Jeff Fortenberry (R), Michael Grimm (R), Rick Renzi (R), George Santos (R, Brazilian-American but typically classified as white/Latino), Henry Cuellar (D, Latino), and others like Bob Menendez (D, Cuban-American).

The Teapot Dome Scandal was a huge government bribery and corruption case in the 1920s where the Secretary of the Interior, Albert B. Fall, secretly leased Navy oil reserves (like the Teapot Dome field in Wyoming) to private oil companies for large bribes, making him the first cabinet member jailed for crimes while in office and exposing corruption in President Harding's administration. Overall, there were a total of nine federal court trials and several appeals, leading to a number of indictments over a six-year period. 

The Abscam operation, initiated by the FBI in 1978, was the widest dragnet ever cast to prove wrongdoing on the part of public officials. The sting proved effective including a senator (Harrison Williams) and six congressmen (Frank Thompson, John Murphy, Michael Myers, Richard Kelly, Raymond Lederer, and John Jenrette). 
At the state/local level (e.g., governors, legislators), indictments are more numerous. Known cases since 2007 (e.g., Rod Blagojevich, Andrew Gillum (acquitted). U.S. Congressman Dan Rostenkowski was indicted in 1994 on 17 felony counts for corruption, including mail/wire fraud, embezzlement, and obstruction, stemming from the House Post Office scandal, leading to his guilty plea, prison time (1996)
 
Editorial comments expressed in this column are the sole opinion of the writer.