Sex Scandals in the political world

Sex Scandals in the Political world

Mitchell Macauley

            In todays society, seeing sex scandals arise in politics is becoming much more common than it used to be. People like President Bill Clinton, John Edwards and Elliot Spitzer are probably the most common that comes to mind, when you hear about sex scandals. However there are so many more that just those three.  At this rate at least one or two major scandals arise a year, with more that are happening on a much smaller scale.

            Easily the most popular scandal in American politics is what happened to President Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky (2). A 2 yearlong sexual relationship (1995-1997) was discovered. Monica had been telling her friend at the pentagon about her relationship with the President. After a while, her friend started to record the phone calls and hand them off to a lawyer that was trying to build a case against the president (2). The hearings for the case started in 1998. During that time president Clinton said that he is not having a sexual relationship with Lewinsky (which at that time there relationship was over) and also argued that fellatio did not technically constitute as “sex” (2). However, the grand jury did not see that the same way, and president Clinton was found guilty of perjury and having a sexual relation with a white house intern.  The senate, and house decided not to impeach Bill Clinton on the charges however.(2)

            On March 12, 2008, Elliot Spitzer resigned as the governor of New York because of a recent sex scandal that had arose just days before (1).  It was reported the Spitzer had been seen with a prostitute in a hotel in New York multiple times.  He had spent over $80,000 on prostitutes during his political career(1). He resigned on apart that he did not want his “Personal Failings” to interfere with the work that was required of the governors office.(1)

            Now when political scandals arise, the politician in question is not required to step down from office. However, most do because of the media and public scrutiny that come from the scandal. Also, because even though the act itself does not technically affect their political work, people see the politician as unfit for their office because of their poor judgment.  In the view of some family friends, they have said “why should we trust them to make decisions that affect us and our families, when they cant even be honest with their own wives”, in reference to the Anthony Weiner scandal.

            Many cases arise every year and more frequently on small and large levels. These scandals can go from sexual harassment in the work place like Samuel Kent, to sending sexual pictures of yourself like Anthony Weiner, or as major as Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky (3).  And most are dealt with by resignation or forcedly moving them out of office.

(1) Hakim, Danny, and William Rashbaum. "Spitzer Is Linked to Prostitution Ring." The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/10/nyregion/10cnd-spitzer.html?pagewanted=all (accessed April 29, 2014).

(2)Wikipedia. "Monica Lewinsky." Wikipedia-The Free Encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monica_Lewinsky (accessed April 29, 2014).

(3)Wikimedia Foundation. "List of federal political sex scandals in the   United States." Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_federal_political_sex_scandals_in_the_United_States (accessed April 29, 2014).