is an intern at The Root and senior journalism major at Howard University.
Larry Craig
This former Republican senator from Idaho has been dodging gay accusations since before I was born. He described homosexual conduct as "despicable." But as fate would have it, in 2007 Craig was arrested for "lewd conduct" in a Minneapolis airport bathroom. He sent an undercover cop a coded message with some flirtatious foot tapping in a public restroom known for male-on-male romps. Craig, as always, denied any wrongdoing, because as you know, bathroom play doesn't make a gay. I believe you, Larry….
CAPTIONS BY MICHAEL ARCENEAUX
Mark Foley
Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla.) introduced several pieces of legislation intended to protect minors from sexual predators. In 2006, someone leaked a series of sexually explicit instant messages between Foley and teenage boys—namely those who formally served as congressional pages. Oh, the irony.
John Edwards
At the start of the decade, many hailed John Edwards as this decade's answer to Bill Clinton. He was a handsome, charming, Southern good ol' boy who fought for the little guy and stuck with his cancer-stricken wife when she got sick. But he turned out to be a not-so-great husband. Edwards had an affair with a woman who worked on his campaign, and maybe fathered her child. Then, all of it showed up in the tabloids.
Ted Haggard
He was the president of the National Association of Evangelicals and pastor of one of the largest churches in the country. He spoke with former President George W. Bush weekly. He was famous for his anti-gay rhetoric, so many took joy in 2006 when they learned that he was getting both his salad tossed and his brain cells fried by a male prostitute. What's worse than a homophobic homosexual with a meth addiction?
Eliot Spitzer
After some sketchy transactions in early 2008, the IRS' Criminal Investigation Division feared that Democratic New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer might have been the victim of extortion or identity theft. Actually, he was a paying customer of a big-time prostitution service. Long story short: He lost his job; his wife was publicly humiliated. Ashley Dupre, the call girl he made famous, now writes a sex column for the New York Post, while Spitzer writes for our sister site Slate.com
Kwame Kilpatrick
We had high hopes for Kwame Kilpatrick, a young, bright politician who dubbed himself the "hip-hop mayor" and promised to steer Detroit in a new direction, but that narrative shifted to a tawdry tale of a sexting politico consumed with sex and lies. In January 2008, the Detroit Free Press published text messages between the married Kilpatrick and his chief of staff. Both lied under oath about their affair and both ended up in jail.
Eric Brewer
If you're looking at this picture and wondering whose auntie is this trying to "give face" for the cameras, meet former East Cleveland Mayor Eric Brewer. It really sucked for him that his secret hobby was leaked to the press shortly before the election. Shockingly, he lost his reelection bid— which means if more photos leak and you see him wearing the same top, please don't throw shade. He just lost his job, y'all. People have to recycle.
Mark Sanford
This Republican South Carolina governor takes the "And I Am Telling You" approach to political scandal: If you want him out, you better throw him out because he's not leaving on his own accord. What's his crime? He told his staff last summer that he was "hiking the Appalachian Trail." What was he really doing? The married father of three was hiking through the streets of Buenos Aires with his Argentine mistress. As a result, he faces 37 ethics charges. Good luck with that, Mark.
Jim McGreevey
Democratic New Jersey governor quit politics in 2004 after announcing that he was a "gay American.' McGreevey had came under considerable scrutiny for appointing Golan Cipel, an Israeli national, as his top security adviser. Turns out that Cipel was his "himstress." After Cipel threatened to file a sexual harassment suit against the governor, McGreevey resigned, came out of the closet, got a divorce and a new boyfriend. All's well that ends well?
Gary Condit
This former Congressman known for his "pro-family politics" became a household name in 2001 after a young woman he'd been having an affair with, Chandra Levy, went missing. After 67 days, Condit acknowledged the affair but denied any involvement in her disappearence. Levy's remain were found more than a year later in a park in Washington, D.C. In 2009, police arrested an illegal immigrant from El Salvador in connection with her murder.