Some of the biggest political scandals handled by PR firms throughout history have already been forgotten. Members of the Millennial generation might just give you a dazed look when you make a reference to Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. No matter the generational differences, though, many of these political scandals will never be forgotten.
The Secret Son of Grover Cleveland
The Grover Cleveland presidency dates way back to the late 1800s. Cleveland began his term as president in 1884, and shortly after he took over, shocking news circulated throughout the states. A New York newspaper, the Buffalo Evening Telegraph, released a story accusing President Cleveland of an alleged sexual assault 10 years prior.
According to the newspaper, Cleveland was accused of assaulting a woman named Maria Halpin. The real kicker of the story, though, is that Cleveland impregnated the woman and she gave birth to a son. According to the History Channel, “when the child was born, Cleveland used his political influence in the city to have Halpin committed, and sent the child to an orphanage.”
The Many Scandals of Warren G. Harding
Similar to Grover Cleveland, Harding was also the father of a secret child. But the scandal doesn’t stop there, not by a longshot. The child’s mother was a 19-year-old woman named Nan Britton. On top of having an affair with Britton, Harding engaged in another long-term affair. This time it was with the wife of a local grocery store owner.
The store owner discovered what was happening between Harding and his wife, so he blackmailed Harding for $50,000. Back then, this was a great deal of money. You’d think that Harding would have learned his lessons from previous scandals, but nope. The entire presidential cabinet partook in many shady activities, and to this day Harding is often referred to as the worst American president in history.
The Watergate Scandal of the Nixon Presidency
For the most part, President Nixon was seen as a solid presidential leader. That is until the Watergate Scandal broke through society. On a late night in June 1972, several burglars were arrested in the office of the Democratic National Committee. These burglars were quickly connected to Nixon and it was soon discovered that they were a part of his reelection campaign. Watergate is still to this day viewed as one of the most scandalous events in political history.
The Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky Scandal
The affair between Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky remains to be one of the most talked-about American scandals of all time. During Clinton’s presidency, he was caught having an affair with a White House intern named Monica Lewinsky.
Although Clinton kept denying the accusations for a while, they were quickly found to be 100% true. Shortly after, more women came forward with similar stories regarding affairs with the President. To this day, Monica Lewinsky references are made all over the world – her name has even ended up in a few famous rap songs.
