Political Scandal News
Coverage of government scandals, corruption, and accountability. The Daily Signal reports on scandals with conservative analysis and commentary.
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opinion
How Local Citizens Can Take Up the Fight Against Public Corruption
We hear it all the time from politicians: They are finally going to stop the “waste, fraud, and abuse” in government. In states with more corruption, like Pennsylvania, New York, or Illinois, calls to clean up government are frequent as well. The problem is that these promises rarely come to fruition. This week—Sunshine Week—is a… -
news
Ukraine’s Former Top Spy Goes After a New Enemy: Corruption
KYIV, Ukraine—Ukraine’s former top security official has gone from tracking down Russian spies to fighting what he perceives to be the country’s greatest threat—corruption. “The question is, are we going to survive or not?” Valentyn Nalyvaichenko told The Daily Signal from his offices in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital. Nalyvaichenko, 50, is the former head of the… -
opinion
The Slow March to Rooting Out Corruption in Guinea
Corruption in the small West African nation of Guinea is pervasive. Bribery is an everyday reality, and it is often the key to securing lucrative contracts and business licenses. It should come as no surprise, then, that the vast majority of Guineans live in poverty, despite the country being rich in natural resources. In the… -
news
9 Controversies Obama Didn’t Mention When He Denied Any ‘Major Scandals’
President Barack Obama discarded eight years of controversies surrounding his administration, including the targeting of conservative groups, veterans lacking health care, the administration’s response to a terrorist attack weeks before the 2012 election, and a botched gun sting. During a Democratic fundraising event in San Diego Sunday, Obama attacked Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., the former… -
opinion
Fighting the Good Fight Against Corruption in Nigeria
The Heritage Foundation was on the road in West Africa carrying the message of economic freedom. One of our stops was Lagos, Nigeria. Lagos is the largest city in Africa (its metro area population exceeds 20 million) and Nigeria has the largest population (by some estimates nearly 180 million) among the 54 countries on that… -
news
Obama Attends Final Economic Summit Amid Concerns of Cronyism, Corruption
President Barack Obama heads to China on Friday to participate in his final G-20 leaders summit—marking a legacy critics say has left America weaker on the global economic front. While still the world’s largest economy, the United States has experienced weak growth since the Great Recession because of policies that make America less competitive, said… -
news
‘Bribery and Kickback Schemes’ Plague Syrian Relief Program Funded With Tax Dollars
U.S. tax dollars are going to relief agencies in Syria that are engaging in “bid-rigging and multiple bribery and kickback schemes” and the federal government has taken inadequate steps to prevent it, according to a recent audit. The fraud makes an already difficult task even tougher in getting needed aid to Syrians in a country… -
news
House Conservatives Explain Latest IRS Chief Impeachment Push: ‘Leadership Has Been Too Timid to Go After Corruption’
The House Freedom Caucus has launched a pressure play against Republican leadership in an effort to force a vote on impeaching John Koskinen, commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service. Before Congress skipped town Thursday for a seven-week recess, Reps. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kan., and John Fleming, R-La., filed a parliamentary measure known as a privileged resolution… -
opinion
Why the Supreme Court’s Decision on a Governor’s Corruption Conviction Matters
On Monday, the Supreme Court of the United States issued its ruling in the case involving former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, who—with his wife Maureen—had been convicted of public corruption charges. Whether the government chooses to retry the McDonnells remains to be seen, but it seems doubtful. The Supreme Court, in a unanimous opinion written… -
opinion
South Africa Is Losing the War Against Corruption
Once a model for emerging African democracies, South Africa is now mired in corruption that undermines its economy, provokes social unrest, and betrays the dreams and trust of millions of South Africans. South African President Jacob Zuma easily survived an April 5 impeachment vote in parliament, thanks to the large majority party he heads, the… -
news
Corruption Charges in Detroit Schools Spur Calls for Education Reform
Officials are calling for education reform after bribery indictments against Detroit public school officials and a supplier alleged $2.7 million in fraudulent spending, even as Michigan’s governor signed off on nearly $50 million in emergency spending. “Principals are in positions of public trust and have an obligation to act in the best interest of their schools… -
opinion
Corruption and Lack of Economic Freedom Common Themes in Panama Papers
As The Atlantic has reported, “[d]isclosures from the Panama Papers are rocking the global political elite.” Although not all of the activities alleged in the papers may ultimately be determined to be unethical or illegal, it is instructive to look at the connections between many of the people named in the papers and the scores of their… -
opinion
4 Lessons the Government Didn’t Learn After Solyndra Scandal
The lessons of Solyndra have clearly not been learned. The Department of Energy’s loan programs have been fraught with failures and corporate welfare, which have cost taxpayers millions. The problem is not just in the apparent abuse of taxpayer dollars, but more broadly that the government has continued to play venture capitalist The need for… -
news
Why Marco Rubio Is Worried About the IRS Targeting Churches
Sen. Marco Rubio said he believes pastors must be both cautious and bold against an intrusive IRS that may be looking more carefully at their words from the pulpit after the Supreme Court ruled that there is a constitutional right to same-sex marriage. “I think, long-term, it’s something we should be vigilant about,” Rubio, R-Fla., told The… -
opinion
The Significance of Britain’s Decision to Authorize More Airstrikes Targeting ISIS
On Wednesday, the House of Commons voted to expand Britain’s air war into Syria. Expanding the British air campaign into Syria should have been an easy decision to make, since much of the territory ISIS controls is in Syria, with its capital in Raqqa, but Prime Minister David Cameron has had a hard fight winning… -
opinion
Planned Parenthood Loved This ‘Scandal’ Episode. They Shouldn’t Have.
Planned Parenthood gave the winter finale of “Scandal,” a TV drama about politics, a big thumbs up for its portrayal Thursday of a character’s abortion. “We saw one of our favorite characters make the deeply personal decision that one in three women have made in their lifetime,” Planned Parenthood said in a statement, per Entertainment… -
opinion
Lois Lerner Won’t Be Facing Criminal Charges. Here Are the Problems With the ‘Investigation’ That Cleared Her.
In an eight-page letter last week to the Judiciary Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Justice Department informed Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., that it was closing its investigation of the IRS targeting scandal, claiming there is not sufficient evidence to “seek any criminal charges” against Lois Lerner or any other IRS officials. However, there… -
news
Poll Reveals What Americans Fear the Most: Corruption of Government Officials
Chapman University in Orange, Calif., recently conducted its second annual survey on fears possessed by Americans in order to pinpoint what Americans fear the most. The fear that ranked the highest among Americans surveyed was corruption of government officials at 58 percent. Cyber-terrorism ranked second at 44.8 percent and corporate tracking of personal information was… -
opinion
Haiti Struggles to Restore Democracy and Fight Corruption
Haiti finally held legislative elections last month. As Jacky Charles of the Miami Herald reported, they were “violent” and “chaotic.” But at least they happened. President Michel Martelly, in office since 2011, has weakened Haiti’s fragmented institutions and heightened political instability. He is surrounded by a network of friends and aides who, according to the…