The Teapot Dome was another noteworthy scandal that had a significant impact on U.S. governance and the masses. Numerous other scandals hit the presidency of Warren G. Harding, but this one was the most prominent. The scandal involved corruption of Albert B. Fall, the Secretary of the Interior, who was charged for selling oil reserve rights in the Teapot Dome between 1921 and 1923. Although no one was impeached for paying bribes, Albert was found guilty and charged for having accepted bribes from oil firms. He was indicted on the grounds of perjury and corruption. The charges include the kickbacks for selling oil reserves rights in Wyoming, Teapot Dome, and other locations to increase profits and amass wealth.
The scandal had a massive impact on the nation, as it involved big oil companies and high profile government officials. Investigations revealed that the Secretary of the Interior, Albert Bacon Fall, took bribes for leasing out petroleum reserves of the Navy in two locations in California to private oil firms without competitive bidding and at meager rates. Before Nixon’s Watergate scandal of 1970, it was considered the highest level of corruption in the history of the United States.
The uncovered scheme damaged the administration and the reputation of government officials involved, especially President Warren G. Harding and the Interior Secretary, Albert. It was Senator Thomas J. Walsh, who initiated the investigation and uncovered this corruption. The government under Harding was severely affected by the trial and the indictment of Albert. The administration was already facing the consequences of the Great Railroad Strike of 1922 and the veto of Bonus Bill in 1922, so this made things worse.