# Worst acts of dishonesty and selfishness by politicians and corporations. Favorites? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 22, 2003, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-acts-of-dishonesty-and-selfishness-by-politicians-and-corporations-favorites/183635 "2003-06-22T22:02:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ready29003](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@ready29003](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ready29003)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-acts-of-dishonesty-and-selfishness-by-politicians-and-corporations-favorites/183635/1 "2003-06-22T22:02:42Z")
Worst acts of dishonesty and selfishness by politicians, organizations, corporations or other public figures. Got any juicy ones? I am looking for proven examples of dishonesty. For example broken campaign promises, legislative acts which pad their own pockets or the pockets of their backers, ect. Politicians, judges, lawyers, government officials and any public figures are all welcome subjects. Also, anyone have a good despicable act by a corporation or the leaders of a corporation? For example acts that screw the shareholders? Acts that screw the environment? Acts that screw the average tax payer while padding their own pockets? For example a car company that has a gas tank flaw which burns people alive…which they choose to simply settle out of court whenever it happens rather than pay for a recall. I am building a sort of database of information. So any recommendations of sources for well documented and researched stories upon this subject are welcome. I prefer to stick to acts which are heavily a matter of public record and not so much stuck in a grey area of the unknown. Please cite your sources if possible. ---
**Author:** ![thatDDperson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de0a6/32.png) [@thatDDperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thatDDperson)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-acts-of-dishonesty-and-selfishness-by-politicians-and-corporations-favorites/183635/2 "2003-06-22T22:15:38Z")
Anything Tom DeLay has ever done. Anything. ---
**Author:** ![Atreyu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Atreyu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atreyu)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-acts-of-dishonesty-and-selfishness-by-politicians-and-corporations-favorites/183635/3 "2003-06-22T22:31:27Z")
I assume you’ve heard of Enron. ---
**Author:** ![\_ceQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/b9bd4f/32.png) [@\_ceQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_ceQueen)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2003, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-acts-of-dishonesty-and-selfishness-by-politicians-and-corporations-favorites/183635/4 "2003-06-23T02:30:43Z")
Yeah, Enron. And NYC’s MTA (submitted false reports of money loss, in order to increase the commuter fare 33%). ---
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2003, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-acts-of-dishonesty-and-selfishness-by-politicians-and-corporations-favorites/183635/5 "2003-06-23T02:42:03Z")
Why include lawyers? Judges aside, legal practitioners are not public figures. Are you also interested in hearing stories concerning the dishonesty of nurses, accountants, engineers, school teachers and carpenters? ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2003, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-acts-of-dishonesty-and-selfishness-by-politicians-and-corporations-favorites/183635/6 "2003-06-23T02:46:36Z")
Three words that symbolize corruption to millions: Chicago City Council ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2003, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-acts-of-dishonesty-and-selfishness-by-politicians-and-corporations-favorites/183635/7 "2003-06-23T04:25:11Z")
“I did not have sex with that woman, Miss Lewinsky.” ---
**Author:** ![Romola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e36b37/32.png) [@Romola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Romola)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2003, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-acts-of-dishonesty-and-selfishness-by-politicians-and-corporations-favorites/183635/8 "2003-06-23T04:45:33Z")
Thanks for the reminder, Terminus Est. 6 years and over 50 million dollars to come up with lying about a b.j. What a monumentally stupid waste of time, effort, and tax payer money. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2003, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-acts-of-dishonesty-and-selfishness-by-politicians-and-corporations-favorites/183635/9 "2003-06-23T04:47:05Z")
“We did not trade arms for hostages.” ---
**Author:** ![BigNik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/73ab20/32.png) [@BigNik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigNik)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2003, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-acts-of-dishonesty-and-selfishness-by-politicians-and-corporations-favorites/183635/10 "2003-06-23T04:49:33Z")
NSW had a government with a slim majority. One of those on the other side was a previous member of the government who had quit the party, but stayed on in parliament as an independent. In order to shore up his majority, the premier offered the quisling a plum job in a semi-diplomatic, semi-marketing role in London, as long as he gave up his seat in parliament. The quisling took the job. Fortunately, the premier was found by the Independent Commission Against Corruption to be corrupt and was forced out of office by his own party in order to prevent a nightmare backlash by the electorate. The now ex-premier’s defence was that he was only found to be “technically corrupt” and his morals were sound. He went on to work for a tobacco company, so take from that as you will. Personally I have a real problem with companies that continue to trade, knowing they’re insolvent. It’s one thing to gamble with your money. When you’re gambling with the money of unsecured creditors such as suppliers and contractors, that’s another matter. ---
**Author:** ![indyz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/fbc32d/32.png) [@indyz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/indyz)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2003, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-acts-of-dishonesty-and-selfishness-by-politicians-and-corporations-favorites/183635/11 "2003-06-23T05:21:25Z")
George Ryan, former Governor of Illinois (license for bribes scandal). Paul Powell, former Illinois Secretary of State (shoeboxes full of cash scandal) Hell, just about every Illinois Secretary of State and Governor has been accused of corruption of some sort. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Gutgore\_Blooddrink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Captain\_Gutgore\_Blooddrink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Gutgore_Blooddrink)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2003, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-acts-of-dishonesty-and-selfishness-by-politicians-and-corporations-favorites/183635/12 "2003-06-23T05:55:14Z")
Well, if you count David Stephenson as a politician, or even as a human being, he put forth quite a few lies to boost the image of the KKK. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2003, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-acts-of-dishonesty-and-selfishness-by-politicians-and-corporations-favorites/183635/13 "2003-06-23T06:10:53Z")
Somehow, asking for “favorite” acts of dishonesty and corruption seems like rewarding the wrong behavior, ainnit? That said, I doubt we’ll top “lie to the entire world about the threat of Iraq’s WMD stockpiles so we can wage an unjustified war, only to get caught when none of our claims proved to be true” any time soon. (Not _quite_ in the same category of the OP, but I do get a chuckle at how Sen. Dan Burton loudly denounced Bill Clinton as a “slimeball” during the Lewinsky witchhunt, only to get caught as the father of an illegitimate son whom he’s never visited in _fifteen years._ Nice family values, Dan. :rolleyes: ) ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2003, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-acts-of-dishonesty-and-selfishness-by-politicians-and-corporations-favorites/183635/14 "2003-06-23T10:53:02Z")
Hmmm. While we’re on the topic, I was particularly amused by Henry Hyde’s blaming his long running affair on “youthful indiscretions”. It continued until he was in his 40’s. Watergate has to be on the list, of course, not to mention the Teapot Dome scandal which took place around the turn of the last century, I think. Ulysses S. Grant’s time in office was filled with scandal, and I think there was a fair amount of nastiness during the early days of railroading. There are also far too many cases involving treaties made and revoked with various Indian tribes. I think the whols Savings & Loan fiasco of the 1990s should be on that list somewhere, too. CJ ---
**Author:** ![jacksen9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce73a5/32.png) [@jacksen9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacksen9)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2003, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-acts-of-dishonesty-and-selfishness-by-politicians-and-corporations-favorites/183635/15 "2003-06-23T11:10:29Z")
You probably should look at the tobacco companies. That scandal was pretty recently exposed and a movie was made. Actually, the movie presented another aspect of scandal involving the media. The Firestone tire issue and Ford may be worth looking into. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2003, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-acts-of-dishonesty-and-selfishness-by-politicians-and-corporations-favorites/183635/16 "2003-06-23T12:58:21Z")
> [@](#): > > Three words that symbolize corruption to millions: > > Chicago City Council I’m not a Chicagoan, but I think [Closing Meigs Field](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=174002) was pretty egregious. ---
**Author:** ![bayonet1976](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@bayonet1976](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bayonet1976)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2003, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-acts-of-dishonesty-and-selfishness-by-politicians-and-corporations-favorites/183635/17 "2003-06-23T13:31:11Z")
“I am not a communist and neither is the revolutionary movement.” -Fidel Castro, 1959 “I am a Marxist Leninist and I will be one until the last day of my life.” -Fidel Castro, 1961 ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2003, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-acts-of-dishonesty-and-selfishness-by-politicians-and-corporations-favorites/183635/18 "2003-06-23T13:55:25Z")
[http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/watergate.html](http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/watergate.html) That link will take you to recordings and transcripts of recordings from Richard Nixon’s White House. If you’re looking for acts of dishonesty and selfishness among politicians, you’d be hard pressed to find any better examples. ---
**Author:** ![moejuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@moejuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moejuck)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2003, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-acts-of-dishonesty-and-selfishness-by-politicians-and-corporations-favorites/183635/19 "2003-06-23T14:38:20Z")
I think the Catholic Church should qualify. What was that one guy’s name…Oh yeah, Benedict Arnold. How about every movie that is made any more, touting itself as “the biggest blockbuster of the year… A must see.” I also am still pissed about the pet rock. ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2003, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-acts-of-dishonesty-and-selfishness-by-politicians-and-corporations-favorites/183635/20 "2003-06-23T17:49:57Z")
Saddam has lots and lots of weapons of mass destruction that put the U.S. population at immediate risk. So much risk, in fact, that the U.S. military must go over there **right now** and topple Saddam. Um … how’s that search for WMDs going again, Bushy? Turn up even the tiniest scrap of real evidence yet? Hmmm … I thought so … [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-acts-of-dishonesty-and-selfishness-by-politicians-and-corporations-favorites/183635.md?page=2)