Political Scandals

From The New Yorker’s archive: a selection of pieces about political misdeeds and corruption. View in browser | Update your preferences Political Scandals Tomorrow marks the anniversary of Richard Nixon’s resignation, the grim climax of the Watergate scandal. In the nearly fifty years since Nixon stepped down, we’ve witnessed countless other political scandals in the White House, and beyond. The latest is in Albany, where Governor Andrew Cuomo, once a leading figure in the Democratic Party, faces numerous accusations of sexual harassment and his own eclipse. Donald Trump, of course, was impeached twice and, on his way out of office, helped spark a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. This week, we’re bringing you a selection of pieces about political scandals. In “The Profumo Affair,” Mollie Panter-Downes reflects on a matter of sex and espionage that toppled a British Prime Minister—and even threatened to entangle a member of the Royal Family. In “The Untold Story of the Pentagon Papers Co-Conspirators,” Eric Lichtblau examines the crucial role of a small group of people in helping Daniel Ellsberg leak the top-secret report on the Vietnam War to the press, in 1971. In “Blowing the Whistle on Watergate,” Jonathan Schell writes about the challenge that Nixon’s illegal reëlection efforts posed to America’s political system. In a Comment from 1991, Mark Danner explores the complexities behind the Iran-Contra affair. “The corruption of our institutions which began when an Administration decided to run a secret and illegal foreign policy,” he writes, “and grew and spread when Congress proved unwilling to assume its responsibility for airing the crimes in their full gravity and punishing those responsible, has now emerged to make of Iran-Contra’s public face a kind of amoral spy story.” And, finally, in “Why Trump Can’t Afford to Lose,” Jane Mayer chronicles the legal perils that still await our newest ex-President. —David Remnick From The New Yorker’s Archive Comment Oliver North’s Iran-Contra Commodity Five years later, the whole affair—with its indictments handed up, its convictions overturned, and its leading players coming forward to tell their stories—has become a matter not of justice but of spectacle. By Mark Danner | December 30, 1991 A Reporter at Large Why Trump Can’t Afford to Lose The President has survived one impeachment, twenty-six accusations of sexual misconduct, and an estimated four thousand lawsuits. That run of good luck may well end, perhaps brutally, if Joe Biden wins. By Jane Mayer | November 9, 2020 News Desk The Untold Story of the Pentagon Papers Co-Conspirators Speaking publicly for the first time, a historian reveals the crucial role he and a small band of others played in helping Daniel Ellsberg leak the documents to journalists. By Eric Lichtblau | January 29, 2018 Letter from London The Profumo Affair The relationship that brought down a Prime Minister. By Mollie Panter-Downes | June 29, 1963 Comment Blowing the Whistle on Watergate In a democracy, we are not free to ignore the truth. By Jonathan Schell | May 5, 1973 You’re receiving this e-mail because you signed up for the New Yorker Classics newsletter. Was this e-mail forwarded to you? Sign up. Unsubscribe | Manage your e-mail preferences | Send newsletter feedback | View our Privacy Policy Copyright © Condé Nast 2021. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.