All research compiled by Ann Rose Laurence in entirety.

CORRUPTION

noun cor·rup·tion \ kə-ˈrəp-shən \

Definition of corruption

a :dishonest or illegal behavior especially by powerful people (such as government officials or police officers) :depravity

b :decay, decomposition the corruption of a carcass

c :inducement to wrong by improper or unlawful means (such as bribery) the corruption of government officials

d :a departure from the original or from what is pure or correct the corruption of a text the corruption of computer files

Source – MerriamWebster

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CORRUPTION

Corruption is a form of dishonest or unethical conduct by a person entrusted with a position of authority, often to acquire personal benefit. Corruption may include many activities including bribery and embezzlement, though it may also involve practices that are legal in many countries. Government, or ‘political’, corruption occurs when an office-holder or other governmental employee acts in an official capacity for personal gain.

Source – Wikipedia

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JUDICIAL WATCH’S LIST OF WASHINGTON D.C.’S “10 MOST WANTED CORRUPT POLITICIANS — 2006 – 2013. Cannot find archived records for 2014, 2015, or 2016.

ALSO DATA FOR: (1) Top 10 Most Corrupt Politicians in 2015-2016 — Top 10 Most Corrupt Politicians in 2015-2016; (2) The Ten Most Corrupt Politicans in U.S. History; (3) World’s Top Ten Corrupt Politicians ( 2 are from Africa); (4) 10 Most Corrupt Politicians of The World, and (5) Corruption and Wealth Data on Senator Harry Reid.

2017

WONDERS LIST — 10 MOST CORRUPT POLITICIANS IN THE WORLD, by Brandon Bridglal, March 2, 2017

10 Most Corrupt Politicians of The World

1 – Mohamed Suharto (Former President of Indonesia)

2 – Ferdinand Marcos (Former President of the Philippines)

3 – Mobutu Sese Seko (Former President of Zaire)

4 – Slobodan Milosevic (Former President of Yugoslavia)

5 – Sani Abacha (Former President of Nigeria)

6 – Jean-Claude Duvalier (Former President of Haiti)

7 – Alberto Fujimori (Former President of Peru)

8 – Pavlo Lazarenko (Former Prime minister of Ukraine)

9 – Arnoldo Aleman (Former President of Nicaragua)

19 – Joseph Estrada (Former President of the Philippines)

In situations where money talks, everybody of a desirable interest would spare their ears to listen very carefully and where power and political influence seems to rule in a country, then this ultimately and inevitably becomes corruption’s playground too. We live in a time that is inhabited by some of the most corrupt politicians of the world. It honestly does not take much other than having persuasive talent, verbal ambition, valuable contacts in the right places at time and a heap of money to squander around loosely in order to master the art of bribing somebody in high places and to place them in a position where something dear to them would be threatened if they do not comply to whatever proposal you were brave enough to bring to their tables at short, random and unexpected notice. This is primarily more than enough to turn a good yet average and common politician into a corrupt individual that is ever ready to bask in the life of ‘white-collar’ crime.

Source – WondersList

2016

BRANCHING OUT TO MOST CORRUPT POLITICIANS — FEDERAL CHARGES — Top 10 Most Corrupt Politicians in 2015-2016 — Top 10 Most Corrupt Politicians in 2015-2016

By Geoffrey Nathan (Listed by corruption ranking.)

1 – Andrew Caspersen, (NY) Former Wall Street executive

2 – Phil Griego, (D-NM) Former New Mexico state senator

3 – US Rep. Corrine Brown (D-FL)

4 – Dennis Hastert, (D-IL) Former US congressman and Speaker of the House

5. – Mike Hubbard, (R-AL), Former Alabama House Speaker

6 – Chaka Fattah, (D-PA), Former Congressman

7 – Timothy Beaudette, (NY) New York Police Department Inspector

8 – Ron Calderon, (D-CA) Former California state senator (Louisiana is in error)

9 – Sheldon Silver, (D-NY) Former New York State Assembly Speaker

10 – Michael Morgan, (D-OK) Former leader of the Oklahoma State Senate

Source – FederalCharges

2015

LOUDEST GIST — EXPOSED!!! WORLD’S TOP TEN CORRUPT POLITICIANS (2 ARE FROM AFRICA), by Senior Staff, August 15, 2015

1 – Mohamed Suharto – Former President of Indonesia

2 – Ferdinand Marcos – Former President of Philippines

3 – Mobutu Sese Seko – Former President of Congo / Zaire

4 – Slobodan Milosevic – Former President of Serbia / Yugoslavia

5 – Saddam Hussein – Former President of Iraq

6 – Sani Abacha – Former President of Nigeria

7 – Alberto Fujimori – Former President of Peru

8 – Budd Dwyer (R-PA) Former House of Rep and Treasurer of PA

9 – Randy Duke Cunningham (R-CA) Former Navy Fighter Pilot

10 – Spiro Agnew, (VP – Pres Richard Nixon)

Source – LoudestGist

2014

Missing List

2013

Judicial Watch Announces List of Washington’s “Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians” for 2013, Published January 2, 2014. (Listed in alphabetical order.)

1. Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH)

2. CIA Director John Brennan

3. Senator Saxby Chambliss

4. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

5. Attorney General Eric Holder

6. Former IRS Commissioner Steven T. Miller / Former IRS Official Lois Lerner

7. Former DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano

8. President Barack Obama

9. Senator Harry Reid (D-NV)

10. Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius

Dishonorable Mentions for 2013 include:

1. Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg

2. Outgoing Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) / Incoming

3. Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D)

4. Former Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ)

5. National Security Adviser Susan Rice

Source – JudicialWatch

2012

Judicial Watch Announces List of Washington’s “Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians” for 2012, Published December 31, 2012. (Listed in alphabetical order.)

Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL)

Secretary of Energy Steven Chu

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and UN Ambassador Susan Rice

Attorney General Eric Holder

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL)

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ)

President Barack Obama

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV)

Rep. David Rivera (R-FL)

Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius

Dishonorable Mentions for 2012 include:

Former Sen. John Edwards (D-NC)

Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY)

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano

Gen. David Petraeus

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA)

Source – JudicialWatch

2011

Judicial Watch Announces List of Washington’s “Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians” for 2011, Published December 26, 2011. (Listed in alphabetical order.)

Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL)

Former Senator John Ensign (R-NV)

Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL)

Attorney General Eric Holder

Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL)

President Barack Obama

Rep. Laura Richardson (D-CA)

Rep. David Rivera (R-FL)

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA)

Rep. Don Young (R-AK)

Dishonorable Mentions for 2011 include:

Former Senator John Edwards (D-NC)

Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA)

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA)

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY)

Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius

Source – JudicialWatch

2010

Judicial Watch Announces List of Washington’s “Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians” for 2010. Published December 17, 2010. (Listed in alphabetical order.)

1.Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA)

2. Rahm Emanuel, Former Obama White House Chief of Staff 3. Senator John Ensign (R-NV)

4. Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA)

5. Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL)

6. President Barack Obama

7. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

8. Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY)

9. Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY)

10. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA)

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? (UPDATES ON SELECTED JUDICIAL WATCH “TEN MOST WANTED” ALUMNI [2006, 2008, and 2009]):

Jack Abramoff, Former Lobbyist: Jack Abramoff appeared on Judicial Watch’s 2006 “Ten Most Wanted” list for his role in a slew of public corruption scandals that led to the convictions of 20 people, including former Ohio Republican Congressman Bob Ney. Abramoff was sentenced that year to nearly six years in prison for a fraudulent casino deal. In 2008, Abramoff received a concurrent four-year sentence “for conspiring to defraud the government, corrupting public officials and defrauding his clients in a separate case.” In December 2010, Abramoff completed a six-month stint at a Baltimore pizza joint, which officially concludes his prison sentence, and he is now on probation for three years. In 2010, Abramoff was also the subject of a new film called “Casino Jack,” which stars actor Kevin Spacey. Spacey received a Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of the disgraced former lobbyist.

Former Senator Roland Burris (D-IL): Former Senator Roland Burris made Judicial Watch’s 2009 “Ten Most Wanted” list for his corrupt (and ultimately successful) attempt to secure Barack Obama’s vacated Senate seat from then-Governor Rod Blagojevich. According to Reuters: “Roland Burris came under fresh scrutiny…after disclosing he tried to raise money for the disgraced former Illinois governor who named him to the U.S. Senate seat once held by President Barack Obama…Burris said he looked into mounting a fundraiser for Rod Blagojevich — later charged with trying to sell Obama’s Senate seat — at the same time he was expressing interest to the then-governor’s aides about his desire to be appointed.” Burris changed his story five times regarding his contacts with Blagojevich prior to being appointed to the U.S. Senate. Three of those changing explanations came under oath. As a special appointment, Roland Burris’s term ended in November 2010, and he is no longer in the U.S. Senate.

Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX): Congressman DeLay was embroiled in a series of scandals while serving as majority leader for House Republicans, earning him a spot on Judicial Watch’s 2006 “Ten Most Wanted” list. DeLay, who was also investigated for his ties to “Ten Most Wanted” alumnus Jack Abramoff, resigned his post as majority leader in 2005 and resigned from Congress in 2006. In November 2010, DeLay was ultimately convicted of “illegally funneling corporate money to Texas candidates in 2002,” according to The Associated Press. “He faces five years to life in prison on the money laundering charge and two to 20 years on the conspiracy charge.” Mr. DeLay is adamant he did nothing wrong and plans to appeal the verdict. Mr. DeLay is also the only “Ten Most Wanted” alumnus to appear on the television dance competition Dancing with the Stars.

Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT): Senator Dodd made Judicial Watch’s “Ten Most Wanted” list in 2008 for his corrupt relationship with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and for improperly accepting preferential treatment from Countrywide Financial as part of the company’s corrupt “Friends of Angelo” VIP program. Then he made the list again in 2009 for undervaluing a property he owns in Ireland on his Senate Financial Disclosure form. Dodd allegedly obtained a sweetheart real estate deal for the Ireland property in exchange for his assistance in obtaining a presidential pardon (during the Clinton administration) and other favors for a long-time friend and business associate. It seems the scandals were too much politically, and in 2010 Dodd announced he would not run for re-election. Despite his ethical lapses related to the financial sector, Dodd’s name (along with Barney Frank’s) is affixed to the “Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act,” the huge regulatory overhaul of the financial sector passed and signed into the law earlier this year. In January 2011 he will be out of office.

Source – JudicialWatch

2009

Judicial Watch Announces List of Washington’s “Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians” for 2009, Published December 31, 2009. (Listed in alphabetical order.)

1. Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT)

2. Senator John Ensign (R-NV)

3. Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA)

4. Secretary of Treasury Timothy Geithner

5. Attorney General Eric Holder

6. Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL)/ Senator Roland Burris (D-IL)

7. President Barack Obama

8. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA

9. Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) and the rest of the PMA Seven

10. Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY)

Source – JudicialWatch

REAL CLEAR POLITICS — The Ten Most Corrupt Politicans in U.S. History

Posted on 01.28.09 4:04 PM CST

1. Boss Tweed

The American symbol of inner-city political corruption, William “Boss” Tweed brilliantly mastered the form of aiding his constituents and business partners in return for votes, money and power. Tweed, a Democrat, served as a member of and eventually headed New York’s Tammany Hall amidst heavy war profiteering during the Civil War. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1852, the New York City Board of Advisers four years later, and the New York State Senate in 1867.

2. Ray Blanton

A former member of the Tennessee House of Representatives, Blanton was elected Governor in 1975. He came under significant pressure after he pardoned a convicted double murderer whose father was later found to be a county chairman for Blanton. With the unlikelihood of winning reelection, Blanton, a Democrat, decided not to run, and Republican Lamar Alexander was elected his successor. Near the end of his term, three state employees — two from Blanton’s office –were charged by the FBI with extortion and conspiracy to sell pardons, paroles and commutations.

3. Budd Dwyer

A Republican politician from Pennsylvania, Budd Dwyer was a member of the state House of Representatives from 1965 to 1970 and spent the following decade in the state Senate. Dwyer was then elected state Treasurer — the post he held until committing suicide.

4. Edwin Edwards

Edwin Edwards served four terms as Democratic governor of Louisiana in a time span ranging from 1972 to 1996. The New Orleans Times-Picayune recently described Edwards as such: “He was a swashbuckling figure of engaging charm and dubious ethics whom critics blame for cementing the popular national image of Louisiana as a captivating but corrupt backwater, the province of rogues and scoundrels.”

5. Spiro Agnew

Republican Spiro Agnew served as Vice President under President Richard Nixon from January 1969 until his resignation in October 1973 due to issues unrelated to the Watergate scandal. He was the second United States vice president to resign from office, following only John Calhoun, who did so in 1832. Agnew was a crusader for what became known as “The Silent Majority,” which the administration depicted as patriotic, conservative, middle-class Americans opposed to the counterculture events of the time. He was often used as Nixon’s voice in the public to attack the media, war protestors and the administration’s opponents in colorful, bombastic ways.

6. Carroll Hubbard

Carroll Hubbard served in the Kentucky Senate from 1968 to 1974 before winning election to the U.S. House of Representatives in the state’s 1st District. After a failed bid for Governor in 1979, Hubbard, a Democrat, was re-elected to the House six more times before being defeated in the 1992 primary.

Hubbard was indicted for misusing government property and personnel as part of the 1992 Rubbergate House Banking Scandal, in which House members were found to have overdrawn their House checking accounts. Hubbard’s wife was also put on probation for five years for illegally using the congressman’s aides for her own failed run for Congress.

7. George Ryan

Ryan served as the Republican Governor of Illinois from 1999 until 2003. Investigations into Ryan began in 1994 when he was serving as Illinois Secretary of State in what would become known as the license-for-bribes scandal. That year, an explosive car accident in Milwaukee killed six and left their two parents significantly burned. An investigation found that the driver, who did not speak English, had possibly used a bribe to receive his license. An investigation began into the sale of drivers licenses for money, though Ryan tried to stop it from proceeding. An eight-year investigation would reveal that the secretary of state’s office had given licenses to unqualified truck drivers for bribes.

In 2003, Ryan’s ex-chief of staff and campaign manager was convicted of racketeering and fraud. In Decemeber of that year Ryan was indicted along with lobbyist Lawrence Warner on 22 counts including racketeering, bribery, money laundering, extortion, and tax fraud. Ryan was accused of forwarding numerous state contracts to Warner and other associates, taking campaign funds for personal use, and obstructing justice in trying to stop inquiries into the license-for-bribes scandal. Ryan’s trial began in late 2005 and in April 2006 he was found guilty by a jury on all counts. Ryan appealed the verdict but in September of that year he was sentenced to six and a half years in prison. He is scheduled for release on July 4, 2013.

8. James Traficant

A nine-term Democrat from Ohio serving from 1985 to 2002, Traficant was known as a colorful, unconventional congressman willing to say whatever was on his mind. In a 420-1 vote in 2002, Traficant was kicked out of Congress a week after the House Committee of Standards of Official Conduct had recommended it be done. Traficant was only the second member of the House to be removed since the Civil War. Rep. Michael Myers was the other, expelled in 1980 after a conviction for taking bribes.

Traficant had been convicted of 10 felonies involving bribery, tax evasion and racketeering. Charges ranged from filing false tax returns to making his aides work at his Ohio farm. He was defiant until the end, claiming he was unfairly targeted by federal prosecutors, outlining what he said were problems with the prosecution’s case against him and lies told by witnesses. Traficant claimed the government sought to get back at him after he was acquitted of bribery charges in 1983 when he was the sheriff of Mahoning County, Ohio. In his final speech he stated, “I’ll go to jail before I resign and admit to something I didn’t do.”

9. Randy “Duke” Cunningham

Cunningham, a decorated Navy fighter pilot during the Vietnam War, represented San Diego as a Republican in the U.S. House from 1991 to 2005, when he resigned from Congress in disgrace. His story is best told in the book, “The Wrong Stuff: The Extraordinary Tale of Randy ‘Duke’ Cunningham, the Most Corrupt Congressman Ever Caught,” written by the Copley News Service reporters who helped expose him.

The Cunningham sat on the powerful House subcommittee that designates spending to certain defense programs, and he resigned from Congress in November 2005 after pleading guilty to bribery. He admitted taking bribes of at least $2.4 million — the highest known amount a congressman has ever taken — from at least three defense contractors in exchange for government business.

10 . Huey Long

Known as Louisiana’s “Kingfish”, a name he gave himself, Democrat Huey Long served as Governor from 1928 to 1932, during which he pushed through a public works program of unprecedented scale. To do so he used extensive political patronage and almost any means he could, including threats and buying votes to beat back wealthy, entrenched opposition. Long was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1930 but did not take office until the end of his gubernatorial term two years later.

Long was shot in the Louisiana Capitol in September 1935 — one month after announcing his candidacy for president.

Source – RealClearPolitics

2008

Judicial Watch Announces List of Washington’s “Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians” for 2008 (Listed in alphabetical order.)

Published December 31, 2008 (Listed in alphabetical order.)

Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY)

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT)

Obama Advisor Valerie Jarrett (D-IL)

Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA)

President-Elect Barack Obama (D-IL)

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY)

Former Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ)

Former Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK)

Rep. Don Young (R-AK)

DISHONORABLE MENTIONS:

Former Senator John Edwards (D-NC)

Former Rep. William “Dollar Bill” Jefferson (D-LA)

Source – JudicialWatch

2007

Judicial Watch Announces List of Washington’s “Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians” for 2007, Published December 27, 2007. (Listed in alphabetical order.)

1. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY)

2. Rep. John Conyers (D-MI)

3. Senator Larry Craig (R-ID)

4. Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA)

5. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R-NY)

6. Governor Mike Huckabee (R-AR)

7. I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby: Libby, former Chief of Staff to Vice President Dick Cheney

8. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL)

9. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

10. Senator Harry Reid (D-NV)

NOTE: Judicial Watch archive page missing — found report in Military-Quotes (dot) Com — Published December 27, 2007.

Source – MilitaryQuotes

2006

Judicial Watch Announces List of Washington’s “Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians” for 2006, Posted December 21, 2006 (Listed in alphabetical order)

1. Jack Abramoff, Former Lobbyist

2. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY)

3. Former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham (R-CA)

4. Former Rep. Tom Delay (R-TX)

5. Former Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL)

6. Rep. Denny Hastert (R-IL)

7. Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL)

8. Rep. William “Dollar Bill” Jefferson (D-LA)

9. Former Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH)

10. Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV)

Dishonorable Mentions include:

1. Rep. John Conyers (D-MI)

2. Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI)

3. Former Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA)

4. Rep. John Murtha (D-PA)

5. Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL)

6. David Safavian, Former Bush Administration Official

Source – JudicialWatch