Founded | 1886 |
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Founder | Joseph B. Foraker |
Founding location | Ohio |
Years active | 1886–1924 |
Territory | Based in Ohio, active at national level |
Ethnicity | American citizens of European origin |
Membership | More than 10 |
Leader(s) | Joseph B. Foraker Warren G. Harding Harry M. Daugherty |
Activities | Patronage, political corruption, bootlegging |
The Ohio Gang was a gang of politicians and industry leaders closely surrounding Warren G. Harding, the 29th president of the United States. Many of these individuals came into Harding's personal orbit during his tenure as a state-level politician in Ohio, hence the name.
During the Harding administration, several members of the Ohio Gang became involved in financial scandals. These included the Teapot Dome scandal and apparent malfeasance at the U.S. Department of Justice, some of which ended in prison terms and a suicide. Following Harding's sudden death of a heart attack in 1923, many members of the Ohio Gang were effectively removed from the corridors of power by Harding's vice president and successor, Calvin Coolidge.