Political scandals: Part of the American Fabric

By Bob Ford Special to

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Scandals are as old as politics itself. Sex, greed, power and cronyism infect people of elected prominence as if it was a prerequisite in climbing the political ladder, leaving voters fuming, comedians with new material and attorneys busy.

Looking back at the history of corrupt politicians in the United States makes the average honest guy mad at an official taking advantage of the fragile democratic system. What is it about our form of government — one we fought-for and won — that allows many a God fearing candidate to slowly lose their moral compass? Money I guess. It seems the only way one can advance is through questionable alliances, broken promises, gifts and settling.

I like what Bill Maher said years ago … “They’re all bought and paid for, the only question is who do you like that did the buying?”

Political scandals litter U.S. history. Type “A” people will do almost anything to stay in office … deny, deny, deny: Aaron Burr, Dan Sickles, Harding, Roosevelt, Nixon, Clinton, Reagan on and on.

We also know that with many of the scandals — if the accused would just come clean at the get-go — wouldn’t be so bad … it’s the coverup.

In the early 20th century, corruption and bribes were rampant. John J. Pryor was a political crony of St. Joseph-born Thomas Pendergast, the renowned Kansas City boss. These guys wrote the book on bid rigging.

Pryor owned several companies that supplied materials like concrete and machinery, the Boyles-Pryor construction company would then do the work. His partner William Boyles oddly enough was killed when struck by lightning playing golf in 1938. Many of Kansas City’s infrastructure projects were given to the Pendergast/Pryor contingent … without any competitive proposals being accepted.

When Kansas City built its downtown airport in 1922, of course Pryor got the contract. Specs called for a 10” thick concrete runway but in order to sell more product Pryor poured a 12” slab throughout and got paid for it. In an ironic twist years later, TWA wanted to bring in their new heavier jets, whose specifications called for a minimum of a 12” thick concrete runway. Kansas City had it, saving the city millions!

Pryor was a big man who owned a downtown saloon where at a younger age he got into a fist fight with a customer, George Morton. After the fight Morton lay dead in the street and Pryor was charged with second degree murder only to be acquitted after several witnesses didn’t show to testify.

These gentlemen loved to drink, gamble and entertain. Pryor owned a resort off the Missouri River on an oxbow lake in Ray County. He would throw galas by bringing his guests on steamboats down the Missouri in style, gambling all the way.

Pryor and his wife Catherine, who was wealthy in her own right, were known for their $100 bills, handing them out like party favors to their employees and guests, keeping all in the fold.

Of course everyone knew Harry Truman was on the fringe of this group. When Pendergast died in 1945, Truman was advised not to go to his funeral but went anyway. Pryor died in 1953, it is reported Harry attended the service but didn’t sign the book.

Pryor had a ton of legal problems as you can imagine and actually served some time for tax evasion, but all in all, if you were in his favor you smiled and looked the other way. That’s how business was done.

Lowering your standards, not just in politics but in everyday life, goes on daily. When people get stressed out about finances or whatever, morality and normalcy take a back seat. You reason to yourself that the situation was not your fault, you were wronged … does the shoe fit?

When I was 16, I went out with a girl a couple times who’s family and father — he’s long gone — were rock solid, a pillar, or so I thought. We were “parked,” a half a block from her house at midnight saying good night when her father drove into their driveway. He was a teetotaler who normally went to bed at 9 p.m.

What in the world was he doing? He didn’t see us and got out of his car looking like Cary Grant in “To Catch a Thief.” Her father was all in black even wearing a stocking cap.

The next day it was reported his warehouse had burnt to the ground during the night, I was stunned! The next surprising thing … I told my father, who just shook his head. I caught this guy red-handed and we weren’t going to do anything about it? I grew up a little that weekend and realized many things may not be as they seem. The only fallout from the episode was I quit seeing the arsonist’s daughter. She wasn’t that great anyway. The newspaper estimated the loss at $450,000.

Being a Missouri Supreme Court appointee with the Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel for 12 years, I’ve listened to most of the reasons and excuses in the book. We heard over 600 cases brought by clients against their hired attorneys.

You want to talk about articulate “professionals” who had lost their direction and still thought they could talk their way out of it, here you go. About half the time we found for the attorney, but the other half … once in a while their actions continued or what they did was so egregious we would be forced to pull their law license.

I know what you’re thinking, our unofficial motto was “go ahead and sleep with your client, you’re both adults, just don’t steal their money!”

I assure you, ending someone’s career is not an easy decision to make.

People and their imperfections, we all have them, some worse than others. But if it harms the taxpaying citizens and society, that’s where it’s imperative to hold individuals responsible especially those who hold the public’s trust.

With many offenders receiving no penalty or feelings of regret for their actions comes a malaise, we have grown to tolerate the worst out of people. It is the slow deterioration of a country and I’m afraid we are living in the middle of that unfortunate moral decline.