About this episode

The episode explores the Teapot Dome scandal, detailing how a secret oil deal led to a major political scandal in U.S. history.

April 7, 1922. A cabinet secretary signs a secret deal and locks it in his desk. The land in question holds one of the largest untapped oil reserves in the country. Officially, it belongs to the U.S. Navy. Unofficially, it’s just been handed to a private oilman – no bidding, no oversight, no witnesses. For Albert Fall, it’s a win-win. For the oil industry, it’s a jackpot. But big money is hard to hide. Within days, the deal leaks. At first, no one seems to care. The economy is booming. The president is popular. Washington shrugs. Then, investigators start asking a simple question: where did Albert Fall get all of this new money? Before Watergate, there was Teapot Dome. How did a secret oil deal become the biggest political scandal of its time? And how did it change the way the U.S. government polices itself? Special thanks to Joshua Kastenberg, professor at the University of New Mexico School of Law; and Jack McElroy, author of Citizen Carl: The Editor Who Cracked Teapot Dome, Shot a Judge, and Invented the Parking Meter. Other sources include: The Teapot Dome Scandal by Laton McCartney, Tempest Over Teapot Dome by David Stratton, and Senator Thomas J. Walsh of Montana by J…

People in this episode

Guests: Joshua Kastenberg, Jack McElroy

Topics covered

• Teapot Dome Scandal
• political scandal
• oil reserves
• government oversight
• historical events

Keywords

• Teapot Dome
• Albert Fall
• oil scandal
• politics
• U.S. Navy
• government corruption
• historical investigation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: U.S. Navy

Books & works: Citizen Carl: The Editor Who Cracked Teapot Dome, Shot a Judge, and Invented the Parking Meter, The Teapot Dome Scandal, Tempest Over Teapot Dome

Places: Montana

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