*Lyndon Johnson
Lyndon Johnson's political career was mired in corruption.
In 1948, he got a local official to certify 200 fake ballots, literally stealing the election to become U.S. Senator by 87 votes. In 1949, a tv newsman investigating Texas vote fraud was killed. In 1952, his assassin was found hanged in his jail cell after he offered to reveal the location of the missing fraudulent ballots.
Two scandals rocked Johnson's vice-presidency. First was involvement with Texas wheeler-dealer Billie Sol Estes, who fraudulently collected millions in federal agricultural subsidies for non-existent cotton farms. In 1985, Estes testified that Johnson had ordered the death of Henry Marshall, who had been investigating the scam. Then came the exposure of links between Johnson aide Bobby Baker and Irving Davidson, the Murchisons, the teamsters, and Carlos Marcello. It is alleged that during the 1950s Senator Johnson received $500,000 in cash from Marcello's racing wire and slot machine profits in return for killing anti-racketeering legislation.
Johnson's long time mistress Madeleine Brown claimed Johnson told her Kennedy's death was "ordered by American oil men and the CIA," and he knew of it in advance. Whatever the truth of these allegations, within hours of becoming president, Johnson made Texas officials halt their inquiry and turn all their evidence over to the FBI, thus putting the investigation into the hands of his old friend, J. Edgar Hoover, who promptly stopped FBI participation in the Attorney General's probe of Baker's mob ties. In 1964, Johnson made Hoover FBI Director for life. Later, his Executive Order11652 locked assassination evidence in the national Archives until the year 2039.
*Source: Back of Card