Nikole Stewart
When you think about our long history of Presidents, you usually don’t want to associate them with any legal trouble. But unfortunately, there were several U.S. presidents who were in legal trouble. Whether they were arrested or in a scandal, these presidents have an interesting and sometimes dark history.
5. Donald Trump
It’s not shocking to see Donald Trump on the list of presidents who were in legal trouble. He became the first president to be criminally charged when a Manhattan jury returned an indictment in March 2023 related to allegations of falsified business records. While he pleaded not guilty, this soon opened up several other cases, with a separate federal indictment in 2023 alleging the mishandling of classified documents and additional charges alleging obstruction of the 2020 electoral count. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to charges against Trump, and he is the first president who is a felon.
4. Bill Clinton
While Clinton was not criminally charged, he was in legal trouble and was at the center of a scandal in 1998. Clinton was the subject of a criminal investigation related to his relationship with Monica Lewinsky, and faced the risk of perjury and obstruction charges. Their relationship involved him, 49, and Lewinksy, 22, and lasted 18 months. While not charged, he was impeached by the House and acquitted by the Senate on related counts.
3. Richard Nixon
Another one of the many Presidents who were in legal trouble was Richard Nixon. The political scandal revolved around the Watergate investigation after the five burglars at the Democratic National Committee. Nixon was investigated for his involvement, and even though his administration tried to cover up the break-in, the truth emerged. Because of this, Nixon later resigned when it looked like he was close to impeachment.
2. Andrew Johnson
Initiated by the United States House of Representatives in 1868, Andrew Johnson sits on the list of being one of the many presidents who were in legal trouble, which resulted in him being impeached. Johnson was accused of high crimes and misdemeanors, with the primary cause being Johnson’s violation of the Tenure of Office Act. Essentially, he had acted to remove Edwin Stanton from his position of Secretary of War and replace him with Brevet Major General Lorenzo Thomas as interim, which violates the act.
1. Ulysses S. Grant
On a brighter note, and a fact that might make you chuckle, is that Ulysses S. Grant was one of the many presidents who were in legal trouble once. But for a funny reason. Back in 1872, a police officer pulled over Grant for speeding in a horse-drawn carriage on the streets of Washington, D.C. The officer issued the president a warning; however, the next day, the same officer caught Grant in the midst of another race with his friends. At the time, Grant was the first and only president to have been arrested, until Donald Trump.