This article provides a list of political scandals that involve officials from the government of the United States, sorted from oldest to most recent.

Scope and organization of political scandals

This article is organized by presidential terms in order, older to recent, and then divided into scandals of the federal Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches of government. Members of both parties are listed under the term of the president in office at the time the scandal took place, even though they may not be connected with the presiding president. In this article, the term "politician" (a person who is professionally involved in politics) includes not only those elected, but also party officials, candidates for office, their staffs and appointees. Please note that every president directly selects, appoints or hires several thousand people. Each of them selects thousands more. Private citizens should only be mentioned when they are closely linked to the scandal or politician, such as Jack Abramoff. This list also does not include crimes that occur outside the politician's tenure (such as before or after their term in office) unless they specifically stem from acts made while in office and discovered later. Scandal is defined as "loss of or damage to reputation caused by actual or apparent violation of morality or propriety". Scandals are separate from 'controversies', (which implies two differing points of view) and 'unpopularity'. Many decisions are controversial, many decisions are unpopular, that alone does not make them scandals. Breaking the law is a scandal. The finding of a court is the sole method used to determine a violation of law, but it is not the sole method of determining a scandal. Also included as scandals are politicians who resign, quit, run, or commit suicide while being investigated or threatened with investigation. Notoriety is a major determinant of a scandal, that is, the amount of press dedicated to it. Misunderstandings, breaches of ethics, unproven crimes or cover-ups may or may not result in inclusion depending on the standing of the accused, the amount of publicity generated, and the seriousness of the crime, if any. Drunk driving may be a conviction, but is usually too minor and too common to mention unless there are multiple convictions and/or jail time. Given the political nature of Congress in which the leading party has determining power, politicians who are rebuked, denounced, censured, admonished, condemned, suspended, reprimanded, found in contempt, found to have acted improperly, or used poor judgement are not included unless the scandal is exceptional or leads to expulsion or conviction.

Government under the Articles of Confederation (1777–1789)

George Washington administrations (1789–1797)

Legislative branch

John Adams administration (1797–1801)

Executive branch

Legislative branch

Thomas Jefferson administrations (1801–1809)

Executive branch

Judicial branch

James Monroe administrations (1817–1825)

Legislative branch

Andrew Jackson administrations (1829–1837)

see Andrew Jackson administration controversies

Executive branch

Legislative branch

John Tyler administration (1841–1845)

Legislative branch

Zachary Taylor administration (1849–1850)

Executive branch

Franklin Pierce administration (1853-1857)

Legislative branch

James Buchanan administration (1857–1861)

Legislative branch

Abraham Lincoln (R) administration (1861–1865)

Executive branch

Legislative branch

Andrew Johnson (R) administration (1865–1869)

Executive branch

Ulysses S. Grant (R) administrations (1869–1877)

Executive branch

Legislative branch

Judicial branch

Rutherford B. Hayes (R) administration (1877–1881)

Executive branch

Judicial branch

James A. Garfield (R) administration (1881)

Chester A. Arthur (R) administration (1881–1885)

Executive branch

Grover Cleveland (D) administration (1885–1889)

Legislative branch

William McKinley (R) administration (1897–1901)

Executive branch

Legislative branch

Theodore Roosevelt (R) administrations (1901–1909)

Legislative branch

Judicial branch

William Howard Taft (R) administration (1909–1913)

Legislative branch

Judicial branch

Woodrow Wilson (D) administrations (1913–1921)

Judicial branch

Warren G. Harding (R) administration (1921–1923)

Executive branch

Legislative branch

Judicial branch

Calvin Coolidge (R) administrations (1923–1929)

Executive branch

Legislative branch

Judicial branch

Herbert Hoover (R) administration (1929–1933)

Legislative branch

Judicial branch

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (D) administrations (1933–1945)

Executive branch

Legislative branch

Judicial Branch

Harry S. Truman (D) administrations (1945–1953)

Executive branch

Legislative branch

Dwight D. Eisenhower (R) administrations (1953–1961)

Executive branch

Legislative branch

John F. Kennedy (D) administration (1961–1963)

Legislative branch

Lyndon B. Johnson (D) administrations (1963–1969)

Executive branch

Legislative branch

Judicial branch

see Lyndon B. Johnson judicial appointment controversies

Richard Nixon (R) administrations (1969–1974)

Executive branch

Legislative branch

Judicial branch

Gerald Ford (R) administration (1974–1977)

Executive branch

Legislative branch

Judicial branch

Jimmy Carter administration (D) (1977–1981)

Executive branch

Legislative branch

Judicial branch

Ronald Reagan (R) administrations (1981–1989)

Executive branch

Legislative branch

Judicial branch

George H. W. Bush (R) administration (1989–1993)

Executive branch

Legislative branch

Judicial branch

Bill Clinton (D) administrations (1993–2001)

Executive branch

Legislative branch

George W. Bush (R) administrations (2001–2009)

Executive branch

Legislative branch

Barack Obama (D) administrations (2009–2017)

Executive branch

Legislative branch

Judicial branch

Donald Trump (R) administration (2017–2021)

Executive branch

Cabinet and Assistants (17)

Lawyers (5)

Advisors and Staff (7)

Legislative branch

Judicial branch

Joe Biden (D) administration (2021–present)

Executive branch

Legislative branch

Judicial branch