1922day.year
Teapot Dome scandal: United States Secretary of the Interior Albert B. Fall leases federal petroleum reserves to private oil companies on excessively generous terms.
In 1922, Albert B. Fall secretly leased US Navy petroleum reserves to private oil companies, triggering the Teapot Dome scandal.
Under President Harding’s administration, Interior Secretary Albert B. Fall arranged no-bid leases of federal oil reserves in Teapot Dome, Wyoming, and Elk Hills, California. Fall received bribes from oil executives in exchange for favorable terms. The deals bypassed Congressional oversight and sparked public outrage when revealed. Investigations led to Fall’s conviction for bribery—the first US cabinet member imprisoned for crimes in office. The scandal eroded public trust and initiated reforms in government accountability.
1922
Teapot Dome scandal
Albert B. Fall
leases