logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2020
43m 37s

Scandal 34: The Blackmail of Lester Hunt

SPOTIFY STUDIOS
About this episode
In the 1950s, at the height of Communist paranoia, Republican Senators Styles Bridges and Joe Welker went after Democratic Senator Lester Hunt in an attempt to blackmail him into giving up his coveted seat in Congress. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 
Up next
Nov 2020
Scandal 1: Watergate
The first and only presidential resignation belongs to Richard Nixon, whose failed attempt at spying on his political opponents led to one of the most elaborate cover-ups in American history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 
52m 14s
Oct 2020
Scandal 2: Iran-Contra Affair
In the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan’s administration secretly — and illegally — traded weapons of war to Iran in exchange for the release of American hostages, then used the proceeds to fund a Nicaraguan rebel army known as the Contras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit p ... Show More
50m 50s
Oct 2020
Scandal 3: The Clinton-Lewinsky Scandal
In 1995, 49-year-old president Bill Clinton began an affair with 22-year-old White House intern, Monica Lewinsky. The affair would lead to impeachment hearings in Congress, nearly ruin Lewinsky's reputation, and instigate an atmosphere of inexorable Congressional partisanship tha ... Show More
50m 11s
Recommended Episodes
May 2021
E247: Chandra Levy
After a Washington D.C. intern disappeared in May 2001, her parents learned she was having a secret affair with a powerful politician. The case erupted into a nationwide scandal, but investigators were focused on all the wrong leads. If you enjoy this episode, search Unexplained ... Show More
44m 21s
Dec 2019
Best of 2019: Watergate Pt. 1
Here’s one of our listeners’ most requested episodes of 2019: On June 17th, 1972, five men were caught breaking into the offices of the DNC at the Watergate Complex in Washington D.C. Over the next two years, journalists and congressional investigators worked to expose the White ... Show More
59m 9s
May 2020
“The Cleveland Strangler” Pt. 2: Anthony Sowell
As his living conditions deteriorated in the late 2000's, so did Anthony Sowell’s state of mind. Investigators were horrified when they finally searched his Cleveland home and found the corpses of his victims decaying in nearly every room. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ... Show More
45m 38s
Jul 2021
Failed Conspiracies: Catiline Conspiracy
In the 1st century B.C.E., competition between Roman senators was stiff — even deadly. When a politician named Catiline learned he'd been knocked out of the running, he organized a coup to overthrow the Roman government entirely. And let's just say, he didn't end up getting his w ... Show More
46m 48s
May 2021
Unsolved Murders Crossover: Chandra Levy
After a Washington D.C. intern disappeared in May 2001, her parents learned she was having a secret affair with a powerful politician. The case erupted into a nationwide scandal, but investigators were focused on all the wrong leads. If you enjoy this episode, follow Unsolved Mur ... Show More
43m 58s
Aug 2020
25 Year Retrospective: Oklahoma City Bombing Pt. 4
Investigating the blast and compiling evidence was a huge undertaking. And in the 25 years since the Oklahoma City bombing, McVeigh was turned into something of a folk hero, with his rhetoric inspiring copycats and seeping into mainstream politics. Learn more about your ad choice ... Show More
47m 30s
Jun 2020
“Chicago’s Finest?” Pt. 2: Richard Cain
He saw himself as an enigmatic spy and went so far as to try to play both sides of the FBI and the CIA. Richard Cain’s later career in international espionage in the 1960s nearly crossed paths with Fidel Castro before once again returning to the mayhem of Chicago—and the mob. Lea ... Show More
39m 49s
Mar 2021
“The Kansas City Butcher” Robert Berdella Pt. 1
Inspired by a 1965 horror film called The Collector, Robert Berdella harbored dark fantasies about abuse and control. As a college student, he acted out his sadism on animals, and later, in the early ‘80s, on a teenager named Jerry Howell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ... Show More
40m 34s
May 2024
Victor Grayson: The Scandalous Mystery of the Missing Politician
Uncover the enigma of Victor Grayson, the politician who vanished without a trace. Was it scandal, conspiracy, or something more sinister? Dive into history's unsolved political mystery! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 
1h 26m