Municipal Graft and Scandal

 Graft- illegal use of political influence for personal gain.

THE TWEED RING SCANDAL
William M.Tweed, known as Boss Tweed, became head of Tammany Hall, New York City's powerful Democratic political machine, in 1868. Between 1869 and 1871, Boss Tweed led the Tweed Ring, a group of corrupt politicians, in defrauding the city.

  One scheme, the construction of the New York County Courthouse, involved extravagant graft. The project cost taxpayers $13 million, while the actual  construction cost was $3 million. The difference went into the pockets of Tweed and his followers.

Thomas Nast, a political cartoonist, helped arouse public outrage against Tammany Hall's Graft. Tweed Ring was broken in 1871.
Indicted on 120 counts of fraud and extortion and sentenced to 12 years in jail.

His sentence was reduced to a year.He escaped but was caught by officials in Spain who recognized him from a Thomas Nast Cartoon.

https://history.house.gov/Historical-Highlights/1851-1900/The-prison-escape-of-former-Representative-William-%E2%80%9CBoss%E2%80%9D-Tweed-of-New-York/