This election has been full of lying, deception and controversy.

Scandals involving past presidents and presidential candidates go back to the 1800’s and maybe even before. These are

the top five presidential scandals.

5. Grover Cleveland’s Affair During Grover Cleveland’s 1884 presidential election it was revealed that he had an affair with a young widow named Maria C. Halpin. She later gave birth to a son who Halpin named Oscar Folsom Cleveland. Cleveland paid child support for the child to be put in an orphanage believing Halpin was not fit to raise the child. After this information was released to the public it created quite the uproar. However, Cleveland was honest with the public and managed to win the election.

4. Warren Harding’s Secretary

Warren Harding’s “Teapot Dome” was a major scandal during his 1921-1923 presidency. Albert Fall, Secretary of the Interior was found to be selling the right to oil reserves in the Teapot Dome in Wyoming and other locations for personal profit. Hall was convicted and sentenced to prison time. Warren Harding took the blame for the scandal. Harding died in office.

3. Watergate

In 1972, five men were caught breaking into the Democratic National Headquarters at the Watergate business complex. Richard Nixon and his advisors were responsible for the break-in. Nixon and his advisors worked to cover up crimes. The scandal was exposed be the Washington Post by, the now famous journalists, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. It was made into a movie called “All the President’s Men.” Nixon resigned before he could be impeached in August of 1974. Several of his advisors served in prison for their part in the break-in and cover up.

2. Iran-Contra

During Ronald Reagan’s presidency individuals in his administration were involved in the Iran-Contra Scandal. Money that had been given to the U.S. for selling arms to Iran was secretly given to revolutionaries Contras in Nicaragua. The hope was that by selling the weapons to Iran, terrorists would be more willing to give up hostages. People were outraged and many people in Reagan’s administration lost their jobs.

1. Monica Lewinsky Affair

The most famous presidential scandal of all time goes to Bill Clinton’s presidency. During Clinton’s second term a sex scandal arose. Clinton was accused of having sexual relations with a 22-year old White House intern, Monica Lewinsky. Clinton and Lewinsky both denied any “improper relationship.” Clinton went on national television and stated that he did not have sexual relations with Lewinsky. A full investigation was held and there was overwhelming evidence that the relationship had happened. Clinton was held in contempt of the court for giving a misleading testimony. The House of Representatives eventually impeached Clinton for obstruction of justice in December 1998. Clinton served his full term, after his impeachment.

Material adapted from  “These Are The Top 5 Presidential Scandals of All Time.” The Libertarian Republic