Albert Fall – Instigator of the Scandal

Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_B._Fall

https://www.history.com/topics/roaring-twenties/teapot-dome-scandal

Teapot Dome: A widely forgotten scandal that nearly took down a president. Through history, it has been forgotten yet during its time it was one of the most major events going on. The corruption ran through the administration of Warren G. Harding.

Essentially the Secretary of the Interior Albert Fall was charged with bribery after he left which was due to him giving exclusive rights to federal oilfields (Teapot Dome in Wyoming, along with Elk Hills and Buena Vista Hills in California) (“Teapot Dome Scandal”). The oil reserves at that places were there for the US Navy in case of war, and starting under President Taft, Congress began ensure that some of these lands would be able to be used a backups (“Teapot Dome Scandal”). This was major as not only did it mean that the oil for the navy was being misused, federal lands were being misused for drilling. Albert Fall, a senator from New Mexico, become the Secretary of the Interior and very quietly gave zero bid contracts to oilmen and friends Henry Sinclair (Mammoth Oil Company) for the lands in Wyoming and Edward Doheny (Pan-American Petroleum Company) for the lands in California (“Teapot Dome Scandal”). These people were friends of the Secretary and this corruption could have very likely been planed out before the appointment to the role. The oil was worth hundreds of million and the companies only had to do minor things for the government such as building oil storage at Pearl Harbor (“Teapot Dome Scandal”). However, the Wall Street Journal on April 14, 1922 broke news of trucks with logos bringing oil equipment up to Teapot Dome after local Wyoming oilmen discovered them and Wyoming Senator John Kendrick opened up a Senate investigation the next day (“Teapot Dome Scandal”). While the corrupt oilmen enjoyed their profits, their fun was discovered very quickly and it immediately began going downhill for them.

Col. James G. Darden thought that Fall was going to let him drill at Teapot Dome, when this was not the case Harding had to place Marines to stop the drilling which resulted inthe Denver Post catching them and requesting $1 million bribes from Sinclair to them and another oilman (“Teapot Dome Scandal”). The nature of these events meant that more and more crimes were being committed and more and more people were getting involved. There is also evidence that President Harding may have been involved with pressuring Sinclair to pay off the press and the other oilman (“Teapot Dome Scandal”). Fall stepped down in 2023 and Harding’s cabinet began to be known as the criminal “Ohio Gang” (They were from Ohio) as they had other accusations of corruption such as influence peddling (“Teapot Dome Scandal”). This showcases just how corrupt the administration was becoming, as not only was the President aware and possibly involved in the cheating, but also other members aside from Fall had their own scandals going on. Sinclair may have created a deal which allowed for the Marion Star, Harding’s newspaper to be bought and allowed him to come on a cruise around the world with their friends on Sinclair’s Yacht (“Teapot Dome Scandal”). However, Harding would die on August 2, 1923 at age 57 after suffering from a stroke or heart attack in San Francisco (“Teapot Dome Scandal”). This further evidence shows Sinclair’s power in the administration and his corrupt friendship with the President. Harding’s death meant that he never had to deal with the fallout of the scandal.

Calvin Coolidge, the next President, would appoint two special prosecutors to continue the investigation which showcased how Fall received a $100,000 interest free loan from oilman Doheny to purchase a ranch along with Sinclair transferring $300,000 in Liberty bonds to Fall’s son-in-law (“Teapot Dome Scandal”). This was major corruption and showed a direct trading of influence for money. Fall was convicted in 1929 and sentenced to one year in prison and fined $100,000 (“Teapot Dome Scandal”). Doheny (who never went to prison as his bribe was a “Loan”) had a son, Ned, was shot and killed by his friend High Plunkett who were both involved in the cash transfers while Sinclair after Sinclair vs. United States ended up with six months in prison for contempt of Congress and jury tampering as the case gave Congress to investigate cases such as his (“Teapot Dome Scandal”). These ends for the conspirators were gruesome for some and full of justice for others. It is bad that Doheny never went to prison yet it is terrible that his son was killed by his friend.

In all, Teapot Dome was a scandal that was deep in depth. It ran through the Harding Administration and ended in the Coolidge Administration. There were many different perspectives and angles within the corruption involved. It very well could have had Watergate scandal level effects 50 years before it even happened.