Teapot Dome Scandal

This paper will discuss the attacks of Senator Burton K. Wheeler (D. Montana) on Attorney General Harry M. Daugherty during the Winter and Spring of 1924 concerning scandals involving the administration of President Warren G. Harding. The first part of the paper will provide some background to the conflict between the two men. The second part of the paper will examine the charges themselves and discuss their validity. This part of the paper will concentrate on the witnesses called before the Senate investigating committee by Wheeler.

The Teapot Dome scandal involved the selling of leases to U.S. Navy oil reserves by the Secretary of the Interior to private oil companies. Secretary Albert Fall had arranged for control of the reserves to be transferred from the Department of the Navy to the department of the Interior. He then offered leases to a few of his friends, such as Harry Sinclair and Edward Doheny, who controlled large oil companies. In return for these offers, Fall received personal "loans" from these men. There was some question as to whether the Interior Department had the authority to sell such leases and some of the oil company attorneys suggested that Fall solicit the opinion of Attorney General Harry Daugherty concerning the deal. Fall, however, refused to do this, fearing that Daugherty and his personal assistant, Jess Smith, would want to be financially cut in on the deal. Fall's failure to inf

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hich held everyone's attention. She was the ex-wife and personal confidant of Harry Daugherty's closest assistant, who had shot himself just as rumors of Executive branch corruption began to surface in the press (Wheeler, 1962, pp. 220-21; NY Times, 1924, March 13, p. 1). Although she proved to be a captivating witness, Roxie Stinson's credibility was immediately challenged by Daugherty and his supporters. Despite the stories she told concerning the dealings involving Smith and Daugherty, she admitted that all of the stories were related to her by Smith, making it hearsay. Since Smith was dead and could not be called by the Committee to verify her testimony, none of it would have been admissible in a court of law. She had never been present at any of these incidents and could relate only what had been told to her by her ex-husband. Daugherty claimed that she was seeking vengeance for the fact that Jess Smith had not been allowed by Daugherty to bring her to Washington D.C. and because she felt that she had not received a fair share from Smith's estate (he left equal amounts to Harry Daugherty and his brother Mal) (Daugherty, 1932, pp. 207-15). Daugherty's supporters and sympathizers were equally dismissive of her, with one
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Some common words found in the essay are:
NY Times, Daugherty Smith, Roxie Stinson, Jess Smith, Justice Department, Cong Rec, Smith Daugherty, University Michigan, President Coolidge, Attorney Daugherty, 1924 march, ny times, times 1924, ny times 1924, jess smith, times 1924 march, harry daugherty, justice department, daugherty smith, times 1, wheeler 1962, 1924 february, york times 1, 1924 february 20, 1924 march 24,
Approximate Word count = 3496
Approximate Pages = 14 (250 words per page)

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