Crime in Congress
Hey Crimestituents! We’re gaveling in another session of Crime in Congress, a new true crime podcast with hosts Harley and Sarah that examines the shockingly true crimes and scandals of America’s elected officials throughout history.
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Episodes
7 days ago
7 days ago
Hey Crimestituents! We're gaveling in another session of Crime in Congress, a new true crime podcast with hosts Harley and Sarah that examines political scandals and infamous crimes with elected officials.
This session, we are taking you back to middle school history class, discussing the brutal caning of Senator Charles Sumner by House of Representatives Member Preston Brooks - an event that stoked the flames of the Civil War.
Sources:
https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/resources/pdf/CrimeAgainstKSSpeech.pdfhttps://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/resources/pdf/SumnerInvestigation1856.pdf
https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/The_Crime_Against_Kansas.htm
https://web.archive.org/web/20070929061114/http://www.olden-times.com/oldtimenebraska/n-csnyder/nbstory/story25.html
https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/preston-brooks
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101074835990&seq=1107
https://billofrightsinstitute.org/essays/charles-sumner-and-preston-brooks
https://history.house.gov/Institution/Origins-Development/Discipline/
Gavel strike audio by odditonic
Instrumental intro/outro music by Dmitry Taras
Friday Mar 07, 2025
Friday Mar 07, 2025
Hey Crimestituents! We're gaveling in another session of Crime in Congress, a new true crime podcast with hosts Harley and Sarah that examines political scandals and infamous crimes with elected officials.
This session, we are taking you to Pennsylvania, where we discuss R. Budd Dwyer, a State Treasurer whose crimes and public suicide shocked the world.
Sources:
The Sins of Our Fathers: A Profile of Pennsylvania Attorney General Leroy Zimmerman and a Historical Explanation of the Suicide of State Treasurer R.Budd Dwyer by William Keisling and Richard Kearns
Honest Man: The Life of R. Budd Dwyer (2010)
The Evening News - Tuesday, June 25, 1985 (Harrisburg, PA)
Press Enterprise - Wednesday, July 24, 1985 (Bloomsburg, PA)
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Friday, July 27, 1984
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Friday, March 2, 1984
The Patriot News - Friday, December 19, 1986 (Harrisburg, PA)
The Evening News - Friday, December 19, 1986 (Harrisburg, PA)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Budd_Dwyer
https://www.upi.com/Archives/1984/12/17/A-man-who-federal-prosecutors-say-was-the-mastermind/3255472107600/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LeRoy_Zimmerman
https://www.library.pasen.gov/people/member-biography?id=4570
https://dwyermovie.com/AboutBudd.html
https://bunow.com/news-politics/budd-dwyer-lessons-in-politics-and-media/
https://www.nytimes.com/1984/08/26/us/pennsylvania-aide-focus-of-scandal.html
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/SJ/1987/0/Sj19870202.pdf
https://www.nytimes.com/1984/08/26/us/pennsylvania-aide-focus-of-scandal.html
Gavel strike audio by odditonic
Instrumental intro/outro music by Dmitry Taras
Friday Feb 21, 2025
Friday Feb 21, 2025
Hey Crimestituents! We're gaveling in another session of Crime in Congress, a new true crime podcast with hosts Harley and Sarah that examines political scandals and infamous crimes with elected officials.
This session, we're talking about the D.C. Madame, Deborah Jeane Palfrey, who ran an illegal, high-end prostitution ring in the Capital City for years, only to meet a tragic end and expose a few powerful men along the way.
Follow us on Instagram @CrimeinCongress
Have a case you want us to cover? Want to be the first to know when new episodes are out? Sign up for our email list here!
Sources:
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2008/05/madam200805?srsltid=AfmBOoruKFTRc53hlWPlV7nM1Ij19uuB5BUR2OEIsfSRgXUDfjcvx7oD
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/national/2007/04/29/i-abhor-injustice-alleged-madam-says/a46381c5-4458-41c8-b788-e47adc6015ee/
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/may/13/usa.theobserver
https://www.nola.com/news/d-c-madam-trial-reveals-details-of-alleged-sex-business/article_4647122f-14b1-5d11-981a-3b83c556338c.html
https://www.salon.com/2008/05/02/dc_madam/
https://www.10zenmonkeys.com/2007/08/27/the-dc-madam-speaks/
https://www.10zenmonkeys.com/2008/05/03/death-of-a-madam/
https://www.thesmokinggun.com/file/new-dc-sex-scandal-looming
https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/fbifiles/historical/deborahpalfrey-fbi1.pdf
https://www.politico.com/story/2008/05/the-tragedy-of-deborah-jeane-palfrey-010348
https://www.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/topics/PalfreyIndict.pdf
https://www.newsweek.com/spitzer-mind-dc-madam-makes-her-case-83691
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deborah_Jeane_Palfrey#:~:text=7%20External%20links-,Early%20life,Thomas%20Jefferson%20School%20of%20Law.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2007/09/05/district-briefing/09b0ccd9-0146-4283-b5c9-1f8bf0765ae0/
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/1981710/prosecutor-case-against-madam-wont-hinge-on-sexual-escapades/
https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2008/05/02/twisting-trail-of-the-d-c-madam/
https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna27477310
https://archive.nytimes.com/thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/01/the-story-ends-for-the-dc-madam/?searchResultPosition=19
https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-05-02/supreme-court-wont-release-dc-madam-records
Featuring: the creaks, hums, and sounds of Sarah's house
Gavel strike audio by odditonic
Instrumental intro/outro music by Dmitry Taras
Friday Feb 07, 2025
Friday Feb 07, 2025
Hey Crimestituents! We're gaveling in another session of Crime in Congress, a new true crime podcast with hosts Harley and Sarah that examines political scandals and infamous crimes with elected officials.
This session, we're talking about political superstar Marion Barry, who led a highly successful - and highly controversial - career in D.C. politics.
Follow us on Instagram @CrimeinCongress
Have a case you want us to cover? Want to be the first to know when new episodes are out? Sign up for our email list here!
Source:
American Caliph: The True Story of a Muslim Mystic by Shahan Mufti
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/24/us/politics/marion-s-barry-jr-former-mayor-of-washington-dies-at-78.html
https://wamu.org/story/14/01/27/crack_1/
https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/01/17/former-dc-mayor-marion-barry-the-fbi-tried-to-kill-me
https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/jury-nullification-or-prejudice-and-ignorance-marion-barry-trial
https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/jury-nullification-or-prejudice-and-ignorance-marion-barry-trial
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marion_Barry
https://washingtontimes.newsbank.com/doc/news/0EB0EE9E42AD1493?pdate=1990-01-19
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/dc-council-censures-marion-barry-for-taking-cash-payments-from-city-contractors/2013/09/17/02f22d06-1fba-11e3-b7d1-7153ad47b549_story.html
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/11/marion-barry-anatomy-of-a-comeback-or-a-few-113127/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/local/fbi-video-of-undercover-sting-on-marion-barry/2014/11/23/e1e35f00-7336-11e4-95a8-fe0b46e8751a_video.html
Featuring: the creaks, hums, and sounds of Sarah's house
Gavel strike audio by odditonic
Instrumental intro/outro music by Dmitry Taras
Friday Feb 07, 2025
Friday Feb 07, 2025
Hey Crimestituents! We're gaveling in another session of Crime in Congress, a new true crime podcast with hosts Harley and Sarah that examines political scandals and infamous crimes with elected officials.
This session, we're talking about the days-long hostage crisis that paralyzed Washington and the political superstar, Marion Barry, whose survival continued a successful, albeit controversial, career in politics.
Follow us on Instagram @CrimeinCongress
Have a case you want us to cover? Want to be the first to know when new episodes are out? Sign up for our email list here!
Source:
American Caliph: The True Story of a Muslim Mystic by Shahan Mufti
Featuring: the creaks, hums, and sounds of Sarah's house
Gavel strike audio by odditonic
Instrumental intro/outro music by Dmitry Taras
Friday Jan 17, 2025
Friday Jan 17, 2025
Hey Crimestituents! We're gaveling in another session of Crime in Congress, a new true crime podcast with hosts Harley and Sarah that examines political scandals and infamous crimes with elected officials.
This session, we're talking about the decades-long scandals of Democrat Congressman from Youngstown, Ohio Jim Traficant (or Traffic Cone, we accept both). Traficant would be the fifth - but not the most recent - member of Congress to be expelled.
Follow us on Instagram @CrimeinCongress
Have a case you want us to cover? Want to be the first to know when new episodes are out? Sign up for our email list here!
LUNCH! With Shelley - LISTEN NOW
Sources:
https://newrepublic.com/article/68973/crimetown-usa
https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Summary-of-Charges-Against-Traficant-7124619.php
https://www.cleveland19.com/story/740801/timeline-of-us-rep-james-a-traficant-jrs-political-life/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2014/09/27/the-best-jim-traficant-stories-from-the-reporters-who-covered-him/
https://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/25/us/house-votes-with-lone-dissent-from-condit-to-expel-traficant-from-ranks.html
https://www.ibtimes.com/james-traficant-dead-73-former-ohio-congressman-was-controversial-figure-1695934
https://www.politico.com/story/2014/09/james-traficant-dies-73-111373
https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-james-traficant-20140928-story.html
https://www.c-span.org/video/?156047-1/politics-house-representatives
https://www.fec.gov/resources/cms-content/documents/federalelections00.pdf
https://www.tribtoday.com/news/local-news/2014/09/juror-remembers-oddities-of-traficant-trial/
https://www.nytimes.com/1983/02/27/us/around-the-nation-sheriff-turns-to-court-to-stop-foreclosures.html
https://www.wdtn.com/news/crime/60-years-ago-this-ohio-city-was-named-crimetown-usa/
https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2023/demo/p60-279.html#:~:text=Highlights,and%20Table%20A%2D1).
https://data.census.gov/profile/Youngstown_city,_Ohio?g=160XX00US3988000
https://beltmag.com/40th-anniversary-youngstowns-black-monday-oral-history/
https://www.wkbn.com/sports/before-his-political-career-traficant-starred-at-pitt/
https://www.ohiohistory.org/visit/browse-historical-sites/youngstown-historical-center-of-industry-labor/
Featuring: the creaks, hums, and sounds of Sarah's house
Gavel strike audio by odditonic
Instrumental intro/outro music by Dmitry Taras
Friday Jan 03, 2025
Friday Jan 03, 2025
Hey Crimestituents! We're gaveling in another session of Crime in Congress, a new true crime podcast with hosts Harley and Sarah that examines political scandals and infamous crimes with elected officials.
This session, we're talking about the 1981 Brink's Robbery, which led to three murders and a wild political saga still playing out to this day. Representative Mike Lawler from New York also swings by to give his thoughts about this hometown tragedy.
Follow us on Instagram @CrimeinCongress
Have a case you want us to cover? Want to be the first to know when new episodes are out? Sign up for our email list here!
Sources:
The Journal News Sat Oct 24 1981
Newsday Oct 22 1981 Page 5
Ithaca Journal Herald October 21, 1981
Terrorism Working Group Report - NYPD
Brink's Robbery - New City Library
UNITED STATES of America, Appellee,v. Mutulu SHAKUR, a/k/a "Doc", a/k/a "Jerel Wayne Williams",and Marilyn Jean Buck, a/k/a "Carol Durant", a/k/a "Nina Lewis", a/k/a "Diana Campbell", a/k/a "Norma Miller", Defendants-Appellants.
The Prisoner - New Yorker
Featuring: the creaks, hums, and sounds of Sarah's house
Gavel strike audio by odditonic
Instrumental intro/outro music by Dmitry Taras
Music by Eduard Bykovets from Pixabay
Friday Dec 20, 2024
Friday Dec 20, 2024
NEWS FLASH! We're popping in your feed with a bonus episode recapping some of the most salacious headlines from the past few weeks, mixed in with random anecdotes by yours truly, Harley and Sarah.
If you like crime, scandal, politics, and want to stay up-to-date on news of the week, this segment is for you!
Sources:
https://newspapers.com/image/365337621/?match=1&terms=%22roosevelt%22%20AND%20%22archibald%22%20AND%22christmas%22%20AND%20Tree
https://www.whitehousehistory.org/christmas-at-the-white-house-overview
Featuring: the creaks, hums, and sounds of Sarah's house
Gavel strike audio by odditonic
Instrumental intro/outro music by Dmitry Taras
Friday Dec 06, 2024
Friday Dec 06, 2024
Hey Crimestituents! We're gaveling in another session of Crime in Congress, a new true crime podcast with hosts Harley and Sarah that examines political scandals and infamous crimes with elected officials.
This session, we're talking about hostage situation in Washington, D.C. that lasted 38 hours and led to multiple fatalities; but, we can't talk about that attack without first discussing the 1973 Hanafi Massacre.
Follow us on Instagram @CrimeinCongress
Have a case you want us to cover? Want to be the first to know when new episodes are out? Sign up for our email list here!
Sources:
American caliph: the true story of a Muslim mystic, a Hollywood epic, and the 1977 siege of Washington, DC
1973 Hanafi Massacre - Wiki
Survivor Tells how Seven Moslems died in Washington - NY Times
Three get life terms in Hanafi deaths - NY Times
Barry 'A Very Lucky Man,' Bullet Stopped Near Heart - Washington Post
Muslim Terrorists Took 134 Hostages in the Name of Allah in a 1977 Guerrilla Raid - Newsweek
Featuring: the creaks, hums, and sounds of Sarah's house
Gavel strike audio by odditonic
Instrumental intro/outro music by Dmitry Taras
Music by Eduard Bykovets from Pixabay
Friday Nov 29, 2024
Friday Nov 29, 2024
NEWS FLASH! We're popping in your feed with a bonus episode recapping some of the most salacious headlines from the past few weeks, mixed in with random anecdotes by yours truly, Harley and Sarah.
If you like crime, scandal, politics, and want to stay up-to-date on news of the week, this segment is for you!
Sources:
Daily Mail: Shock twist reveals the real reason Peanut the Squirrel was seized by cops
CNN: Gaetz withdraws from attorney general consideration after Trump told him he didn’t have the votes in the Senate
NPR: Poop on Pelosi's desk, a neo-Nazi tiki torch: Mysterious statues are popping up in D.C.
Featuring: the creaks, hums, and sounds of Sarah's house
Gavel strike audio by odditonic
Instrumental intro/outro music by Dmitry Taras