"The Most Powerful Weapon of All"

A look back at some of the greatest political sex scandals in history.

My urban neighborhood in Dallas is densely populated with beautiful women in their early twenties, and many are in the habit of wearing extremely tight-fitting yoga pants at all times. Some of these pants appear to be spray-painted onto the wearers. Even though I’m approaching fifty-four, I still occasionally find myself distracted by this spectacle. I often go for walks to think about stories I’m working on. Ten years ago, I would have been too distracted to complete a single thought.

The conviction of Donald Trump—allegedly for not disclosing a payment rendered to an adult film star for non-disclosure of a sexual encounter alleged to have happened in 2006—prompted me to review the lore of male politicians getting into trouble for sexual indiscretions.

Generally speaking, politicians have, throughout history, been well known for their sexual indiscretions. The most disastrous affair in all of literature was that between Helen—wife of Menelaus, King of Sparta—and Paris, Prince of Troy—which resulted in the total destruction of Troy.

The most notorious philanderer in political history was Marcus Antonius (14 January 83 BC – 1 August 30 BC), who married the sister of Octavian (later Emperor Augustus) and then had a highly publicized affair with the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra.

Trump’s troubles with Stormy Daniels strike me as notably benign compared to President Clinton’s dalliance with White House intern, Monica Lewinsky, for the simple reason that Clinton’s affair while he was in office exposed him to a higher risk of blackmail. Trump’s apparent interest in keeping Stormy quiet in the run-up to the election made him vulnerable to extortion, but in theory, Clinton’s affair could have subjected him to possible blackmail for favors from the acting President of the United States.

Perhaps the most spectacular sex scandal of the Cold War period was the Profumo Affair in Great Britain. Wikipedia provides a succinct description:

The Profumo affair was a major scandal in twentieth-century British politics. John Profumo, the 46-year-old Secretary of State for War in Harold Macmillan's Conservative government, had an extramarital affair with the 19-year-old model Christine Keeler beginning in 1961. Profumo denied the affair in a statement to the House of Commons in 1963; weeks later, a police investigation proved that he had lied. The scandal severely damaged the credibility of Macmillan's government, and Macmillan resigned as Prime Minister in October 1963, citing ill health. The fallout contributed to the Conservative government's defeat by the Labour Party in the 1964 general election.

When the Profumo affair was revealed, public interest was heightened by reports that Keeler may have been simultaneously involved with Captain Yevgeny Ivanov, a Soviet naval attaché, thereby creating a possible national security risk. Keeler knew both Profumo and Ivanov through her friendship with Stephen Ward, an osteopath and socialite who had taken her under his wing. The exposure of the affair generated rumours of other sex scandals and drew official attention to the activities of Ward, who was charged with a series of immorality offences. Perceiving himself as a scapegoat for the misdeeds of others, Ward took a fatal overdose during the final stages of his trial, which found him guilty of living off the immoral earnings of Keeler and her friend Mandy Rice-Davies.

I suppose that someday, men with high levels of energy, ambition, and drive will learn to resist the temptation of cavorting with beautiful young women, and remain focused on the affairs of state. Unfortunately, with few exceptions, it seems that the kind of men who seek political office are terribly ill-equipped to resist this temptation. Given the potent seductive charm of young women, ensnaring politicians is like fishing in a small pond with dynamite.

Readers interested in learning more about the Profumo Affair might check out the 1989 film Scandal—a fairly accurate and entertaining portrayal of the true story.