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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 2 |
| 1859 | 1 |
| 1860 | 1 |
| 1861 | 1 |
| 1862 | 5 |
| 1863 | 1 |
| 1872 | 13 |
| 1876 | 11 |
| 1877 | 12 |
| 1878 | 2 |
| 1880 | 2 |
| 1883 | 9 |
| 1884 | 10 |
| 1885 | 17 |
| 1886 | 11 |
| 1887 | 8 |
| 1888 | 3 |
| 1889 | 22 |
| 1890 | 3 |
| 1891 | 31 |
| 1892 | 42 |
| 1893 | 57 |
| 1894 | 52 |
| 1895 | 18 |
| 1898 | 2 |
| 1899 | 5 |
| 1900 | 3 |
| 1903 | 16 |
| 1904 | 12 |
| 1908 | 1 |
| 1909 | 15 |
| 1910 | 7 |
| 1911 | 2 |
| 1914 | 2 |
| 1915 | 2 |
| 1916 | 7 |
| 1918 | 1 |
409 stories matching corrupt
- Sewer Scandal Erupts in Ballard
A fiery public meeting exposes alleged corruption, faulty materials, and a disgraced official's messy history.
- Editorial Challenges Mayor Hunt Over Plant Contracts
Walla Walla's local paper challenges the Mayor’s business dealings with the city under state anti-corruption laws.
- The Fight for Direct Democracy
Labor journals lobby for the Initiative and Referendum to bypass legislative corruption and ensure the people have the final say on state law.
- Corruption Scandal Sweeps Whatcom
Former city officials are arrested for embezzlement while the community demands a grand jury to investigate municipal rot.
- The City Treasurer's Banker Walks Free
After a dramatic trial, Henry Fuhrman is acquitted of charges related to city funds, sparking a debate on institutional corruption and the blurred lines between public finance and private banking.
- The Trial of City Treasurer Adolph Krug
A Seattle judge rejects the defense's motion to dismiss embezzlement charges, invoking the history of the law against modern corporate corruption.
- The Sewer Scandal: A Whistleblower’s Warning
City Engineer Thomson testified that he repeatedly warned officials against using sub-standard, 'rotten' brick in Seattle’s sewer construction, only to be ignored as the project fell into corruption and mismanagement.
- The Whistleblower Who Risked It All on the House Floor
When Washington legislator Metcalfe turned in a bribe, his colleagues turned on him. In a dramatic trial for expulsion, he dared to tell them their political machine was 'as corrupt as hell.'
- The Front Street Fraud: How Seattle's Council Sold Its Soul for a Cable Car
An editorial outcry accuses city officials of corruption in the approval of a lucrative franchise for a non-resident corporation, warning that the public interest is being sacrificed for private profit.
- The Sting That Toppled a Representative
When Washington state lawmaker John L. Metcalfe accepted a bribe to expose corruption, the legislature responded by trying to expel him instead of the briber.
- The Opium Smugglers of the Idaho
A federal investigation uncovers a massive scheme to hide contraband in the bilges and barrels of a Pacific steamship, revealing a deep culture of corruption in the Sound’s maritime trade.
- The Sailors' Union Agent and the Missing Men of Aberdeen
William Gohl, a labor agent, goes on trial for two murders — and authorities hint at a wider web of crime and corruption in the harbor city.
- The Price of a Free Ticket
In 1883, the Post-Intelligencer took a stand against the 'free pass' corruption, where railroad companies leveraged free travel to buy the silence of regional editors.
- The City Hall Shake-Up: Seattle's 1885 Anti-Corruption Campaign
Tensions boiled over at the Seattle Municipal Convention as delegates rallied to purge city leadership and demand a stricter, reform-minded administration for the growing territory.
- The Sting at the State Capital
A political whistleblower braves public scorn to expose the bribery and influence-peddling that turned the Washington State legislature into a 'reeking cesspool.'
- The Birth Pangs of Washington’s Constitution
As the territory prepared for statehood in 1889, the local press scrutinized the new constitution, exposing the tension between civic optimism and the looming shadow of corporate greed.
- The Newspaper Bribe: How State Printing Muzzled New Jersey's Press
A Seattle editor warns against a Washington law that would pay newspapers to print the statutes, citing New Jersey's scandalous 'corruption fund.'
- The Struggle for a Tacoma Grand Jury
After years of bureaucratic stonewalling, a grand jury is finally set to probe corruption within Tacoma’s county government.
- The 'Opium Bribe' Scandal That Wasn't
A sensationalized investigation into Seattle police corruption collapses as the city council realizes the accusations were entirely fabricated.
- A Ring, a Resignation and a Democratic Landslide in Seattle
Mayor-elect Ronald insists the sweeping Democratic victory was no party triumph but a popular revolt against boss rule, a pliant police chief and corrupt registration.
- The 'White Slavery' Panic: A Lecture That Shocked the Tri-Cities
In April 1914, a visiting reverend used sensationalized rhetoric to warn Kennewick residents about the dangers of moral corruption, reflecting the era's intense anxiety over women's safety and autonomy.
- The Great Washington Oyster Land Grab
In a defiant legislative maneuver, the state senate pushed through a bill ceding valuable tide lands, sparking accusations of corruption.
- The Great Seattle Audit: When the Mayor Defended the Ledger
Facing down accusations of corruption and fiscal recklessness, Seattle’s outgoing mayor releases a meticulous—and defensive—account of his administration's massive infrastructure push.
- Sheriff Challenges Corruption in Seattle
King County Sheriff Cudihee declares a crackdown on 'wide open' gambling, asserting his authority over the prosecuting attorney.
- The Women Who Stormed the Police Chief’s Office
In 1885, a group of Seattle women, frustrated by official corruption and the unchecked influence of saloons and gambling dens, launched a moral crusade to demand a new Chief of Police.