Yet Another Harding Scandal
First Lady Florence Harding leading cause was the plight of the injured soldiers of WWI. When her husband created the Veteran's Bureau in 1921, she persuaded him to appoint close friend and political supporter Charles Forbes to head the agency. Put in charge of the record $500 million budget, Forbes began to find ways to enrich himself at the Bureau's expense. He made at least $2 million in bribes, kickbacks, and the sale of "surplus" supplies. When Florence heard about the money that somehow never made it to disabled soldiers, she at first refused to believe that old friend Charlie Forbes had betrayed both her and the country. President Harding was angry at Forbes, yet inclined to let him resign. In the end, Forbes spent less than two years in prison and paid just $10,000 for his crimes.
Forbes rejected many legitimate claims during his tenure yet he is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
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