History repeats itself - FBI

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political parties are “likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government.”

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In the late teens to early twenties, evidence began to trickle out in the media suggesting that an individual within the Executive Branch of the United States Government had profited significantly from his official position.

Over the course of several years, it became clear that money had flowed from an energy company looking to secure favorable business deals to a self-dealing Executive Branch official. Millions changed hands and the Bureau was called in to investigate.

Yet, the Bureau wasn't actually there to investigate the corrupt official.

They were there to investigate any person asking questions about the corruption.

They were there as part of an effort to protect the high-level official from rightful scrutiny for his unexplainable wealth.

They were there to intimidate those bringing to light misdeeds and corruption.

If this sounds familiar, it should. You just may have the century wrong.

The Teapot Dome Scandal rocked the Republican administration of Warren G. Harding. The self-dealing and fraud that gave rise to the Teapot Dome Scandal ultimately resulted in the indictment, conviction, and imprisonment of a member of the President’s cabinet. And the behavior of the Bureau during the scandal resulted in the Attorney General being fired following President Harding’s death.

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J. Edgar Hoover was brought in to reform the Bureau. By the time he took control of the law enforcement agency that would eventually become the FBI, the agency had been exposed as having been involved in spying on members of Congress in connection with Congressional investigations into the Teapot Dome Scandal.

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