Investigating the President: The Star Route Scandal
The Star Route scandal concerned an illegal scheme in which United States postal officials received bribes in exchange for awarding postal delivery contracts in southern and western areas. It arose during the scandal-plagued administration of Ulysses Grant, thought no President was ever directly implicated in it. The scandal persisted for a number of years before it was finally addressed during the administration of President Chester Alan Arthur.
On March 3, 1845 Congress created inland mail routes, which were known as "Star Routes". After the Civil War ended, these routes were highly sought after due to rapid expansion in the West and South West regions of the United States. This opened the door for potential illicit profits within the Postal Service. The way the scheme worked was that contractors would conspire to make bids for these postal routes. The contractor who would receive the contract route at an exorbitant high price would split these exorbitant profits among others in the ring consisting of brokers, contractors, and appointed members of the Postal Service who awarded the bids. This fraudulent scheme was costing the government millions of dollars.
Investigations by Congress into this corruption began as early as 1872 during the Grant Administration. This investigation result was tainted by bribery of its members. An 1876 investigation managed to shut down the Star Route frauds temporarily, but a resurgence of the fraudulent scheme arose again in 1878 during the Rutherford Hayes Administration and continuing into the James Garfield Administration. In April 1880, when another Congressional investigation was launched, President Rutherford Hayes stopped further awarding of Star Route contracts. The vastness of the country, the need for communications by post and the lack of modern technology to bridge these distances made the problem a difficult one for any president to address.
In April 1881, President James A. Garfield launched an investigation into the Star Routes corruption. Garfield's investigation revealed that among the major players involved were some of the large contractors, the ex-US Representative Bradley Barlow of Vermont, the Second Assistant Postmaster-General, Thomas J. Brady, some of the subordinates in the department, and Arkansas Senator Stephen W. Dorsey, who became Secretary of the Republican National Committee during Garfield's 1880 presidential campaign. No evidence was found suggesting that Garfield benefited personally in any way.
After Garfield's death by assassination, President Chester A. Arthur pursued the investigation. Arthur's Attorney General, Benjamin Brewster, continue the investigations begun by his predecessor Wayne MacVeigh. He hired notable Democratic lawyers William W. Ker and Richard T. Merrick to strengthen the prosecution team. Arthur had worked closely with Dorsey before his presidency. Arthur supported the investigation and forced the resignation of officials suspected in the scandal. Two federal prosecution trials took place in 1882 and 1883, and the postal ring was finally shut down.
Although the fraudulent scheme was widespread, there were only a few convictions. Many of the defendants in the Star Routes trials were successfully defended by noted lawyer Robert Ingersoll. An 1882 trial of the ringleaders resulted in convictions for two minor conspirators and a hung jury for the rest. After a juror came forward with allegations that the defendants attempted to bribe him, the judge set aside the guilty verdicts and granted a new trial. Before the second trial began, Arthur removed five federal office holders who were sympathetic with the defense, including a former Senator.
The second trial began in December 1882 and lasted until July 1883 and, again, did not result in a guilty verdict. Failure to obtain a conviction tarnished the administration's image, but Arthur did succeed in putting a stop to the fraudulent scheme. Brady and Dorsey were acquitted by the jury in the 1883 trial. Public disgust over the Star Routes fraud served as an impetus for civil service reform and the passage of the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act in 1883. Although the ringleaders in the scheme were not convicted, the public's reaction, especially as evidenced in the 1882 mid-term elections, convinced Congress to get behind civil service reform proposals and pass meaningful civil service reform legislation.
This was another example of how Chester Alan Arthur surprised many of his critics. Though he had once been a devoted spoilsman, President Arthur acted with integrity in supporting the ending of this widespread fraudulent practice. The public were generally unhappy with the outcome of the trial, but Arthur's legacy was enhanced by his adherence to the principle of civil service reform.
On March 3, 1845 Congress created inland mail routes, which were known as "Star Routes". After the Civil War ended, these routes were highly sought after due to rapid expansion in the West and South West regions of the United States. This opened the door for potential illicit profits within the Postal Service. The way the scheme worked was that contractors would conspire to make bids for these postal routes. The contractor who would receive the contract route at an exorbitant high price would split these exorbitant profits among others in the ring consisting of brokers, contractors, and appointed members of the Postal Service who awarded the bids. This fraudulent scheme was costing the government millions of dollars.
Investigations by Congress into this corruption began as early as 1872 during the Grant Administration. This investigation result was tainted by bribery of its members. An 1876 investigation managed to shut down the Star Route frauds temporarily, but a resurgence of the fraudulent scheme arose again in 1878 during the Rutherford Hayes Administration and continuing into the James Garfield Administration. In April 1880, when another Congressional investigation was launched, President Rutherford Hayes stopped further awarding of Star Route contracts. The vastness of the country, the need for communications by post and the lack of modern technology to bridge these distances made the problem a difficult one for any president to address.
In April 1881, President James A. Garfield launched an investigation into the Star Routes corruption. Garfield's investigation revealed that among the major players involved were some of the large contractors, the ex-US Representative Bradley Barlow of Vermont, the Second Assistant Postmaster-General, Thomas J. Brady, some of the subordinates in the department, and Arkansas Senator Stephen W. Dorsey, who became Secretary of the Republican National Committee during Garfield's 1880 presidential campaign. No evidence was found suggesting that Garfield benefited personally in any way.
After Garfield's death by assassination, President Chester A. Arthur pursued the investigation. Arthur's Attorney General, Benjamin Brewster, continue the investigations begun by his predecessor Wayne MacVeigh. He hired notable Democratic lawyers William W. Ker and Richard T. Merrick to strengthen the prosecution team. Arthur had worked closely with Dorsey before his presidency. Arthur supported the investigation and forced the resignation of officials suspected in the scandal. Two federal prosecution trials took place in 1882 and 1883, and the postal ring was finally shut down.
Although the fraudulent scheme was widespread, there were only a few convictions. Many of the defendants in the Star Routes trials were successfully defended by noted lawyer Robert Ingersoll. An 1882 trial of the ringleaders resulted in convictions for two minor conspirators and a hung jury for the rest. After a juror came forward with allegations that the defendants attempted to bribe him, the judge set aside the guilty verdicts and granted a new trial. Before the second trial began, Arthur removed five federal office holders who were sympathetic with the defense, including a former Senator.
The second trial began in December 1882 and lasted until July 1883 and, again, did not result in a guilty verdict. Failure to obtain a conviction tarnished the administration's image, but Arthur did succeed in putting a stop to the fraudulent scheme. Brady and Dorsey were acquitted by the jury in the 1883 trial. Public disgust over the Star Routes fraud served as an impetus for civil service reform and the passage of the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act in 1883. Although the ringleaders in the scheme were not convicted, the public's reaction, especially as evidenced in the 1882 mid-term elections, convinced Congress to get behind civil service reform proposals and pass meaningful civil service reform legislation.
This was another example of how Chester Alan Arthur surprised many of his critics. Though he had once been a devoted spoilsman, President Arthur acted with integrity in supporting the ending of this widespread fraudulent practice. The public were generally unhappy with the outcome of the trial, but Arthur's legacy was enhanced by his adherence to the principle of civil service reform.