It’s difficult to comprehend the total scale of corruption in the current administration. However, in a recent
video, Paul Krugman, Nobel Laureate in Economics, put Trump’s corruption in perspective, using the Teapot Dome bribery scandal during the Gilded Age as a benchmark. According to Krugman, the bribe was roughly
500 thousand dollars, which would be about 9 million today. Trump has been in office for roughly 500 days.
The amount of money he has obtained in this period is estimated to be between 4 and 5 billion dollars, i.e. this means that we are experiencing a Teapot Dome-size scandal virtually every day.
The Teapot Dome scandal was the defining example of government corruption in the 20th century until Watergate. It led to major investigations in Congress and, subsequently, major reforms in government.
People are also reading…
The White House has repeatedly stated that Trump has no conflicts of interest. Apparently he believes that whatever is good for him and his family and friends is good for America.
Barbara Hall
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
Follow these steps to easily submit a letter to the editor or guest opinion to the Arizona Daily Star.
