10 Most Bizarre Political Scandals
10 Most Bizarre Political Scandals
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today were counting down our picks for the most surprising, weirdest, and outrageous scandals involving political figures around the world.
Silvio Berlusconis Bunga Bunga Parties
The late Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi was involved in plenty of scandals, gaffes, and controversies during and after his time in office. But one absurd and outrageous scandal looms large and it can be summed up with the same word repeated twice - bunga bunga. Berlusconi was charged and convicted for having allegedly paid for sexual services for underage Moroccan prostitute Ruby Rubacuori, whom he also supposedly released from police custody. Rubacuori claimed that Berlusconi had invited her to sex parties where the participants engaged in African-inspired bunga bunga dances in the nude. Although Berlusconi successfully appealed his sentence, the Italian press and the internet will never forget this headline-worthy scandal.
Scott Morrisons Alleged Accident
Sometimes a rumor takes on a life of its own. Since 2018, an urban myth has sprung up about former Australian prime minister Scott Morrison. The story goes that following the loss of the Cronulla Sharks rugby team in the grand final in 1997, Morrison defecated in his pants at a McDonalds restaurant, or Maccas as they say Down Under. The hilarious rumor spread faster than Vegemite on toast across Australia, and the Engadine Maccas in question even has a plaque to commemorate the event. However, both Morrison and the rumors progenitor, musician Rowan Dix a.k.a. Joyride, have denied any truth to the myth. Its always unfortunate when an entertaining story doesnt pass the shit test.
Tractorgate
In 2022, British Conservative MP Neil Parish was accused by a group of female colleagues of having watched pornography in the House of Commons. Initially, Parish alleged that he may have viewed the erotica by mistake. However, he later claimed to have reached the pornographic material after trying to view a site about tractors. Parish eventually owned up to looking at the porn on purpose a second time, and the resulting scandal led to his resignation. Mixing tractors of all things with a porn scandal was bound to pull everyones attention.
Spanish Mayor Done For Drunk Biting
The Covid-19 lockdowns drove everybody a little crazy, but this scandal was especially wild! During 2020, Spain imposed strict curfews to prevent the spread of Coronavirus. Àlex Pastor, mayor of Badalona, was arrested after violating the curfew in April. He also refused to take a breathalyzer test and bit one of the arresting officers. Naturally, Pastor was arrested for drunk driving and assault and resigned his position. The Spanish press had a field day with the incident, comparing Pastor to Hannibal Lecter. But thats hardly fairto Hannibal! A drunk bite on the side of the road? The guy had more class than that
The Thorpe Affair
Homosexuality was a contentious topic in the UK - namely because it was considered a criminal offense until 1967. Thats why, when Liberal party leader Jeremy Thorpe became embroiled in this scandal and a subsequent trial, it was a massive deal. Norman Josiffe, a.k.a. Norman Scott, alleged that he had been in a relationship with the married Thorpe during the 60s. Not only that, but Thorpe had apparently enacted a clumsy conspiracy to have Scott murdered to ensure his silence, with the hitman instead killing his dog. Despite Thorpe and his conspirators going to trial, an infamously less than objective judge and jury acquitted them all. Thorpe may have gone free, but his political career was effectively destroyed by the court of public opinion.
John Key Pulls Ponies
In 2015, New Zealands prime minister John Key came under fire in this very unusual scandal. A waitress in Auckland disclosed that Key had pulled her ponytail repeatedly. And by repeatedly, we mean on many different occasions over several months. Key also tried to smooth things over with a gifted bottle of Pinot Noir. Sure, Kiwis probably werent too enthused that their head of government had the exact level of maturity of a schoolboy on a playground. But on behalf of the international community, wed just like to say - its objectively funny.
JD Vance & the Couch
Look, 2024 was a rough year for politics in America. But one moment of levity happened beginning in July, when a tweet sparked an absolutely hysterical rumor. The story went that then-Vice Presidential candidate, and later Vice President, JD Vance gotintimate with a couch. An attempt to fact check the rumor by the Associated Press, and later its retraction of that fact check, drew more attention to it. Vances alleged furniture relations sparked widespread parodies on late night and variety shows, and even his political opponents referenced it on the campaign trail. To paraphrase Stephen Colbert, it doesnt matter that it (probably) isnt true - because it was hilarious how easy it is to imagine him doing it.
John Stonehouses Disappearance
An ex-UK MP, John Stonehouse had many things to hide, including some creative accounting and the fact that he was a spy for Czechoslovakia. Stonehouse decided to start afresh by faking his own death. He did so by leaving some folded clothes behind on a beach in Miami, Florida. Stonehouses plan to run off to Australia with his mistress and embezzled money hit a snag, when a bank teller alerted the Australian police about him using multiple names on his accounts. When Stonehouse was arrested, he had to drop his pants to prove he wasnt a different British politician, Lord Lucan, whod also disappeared shortly before, following the murder of his kids nanny! Lucan had a thigh scarits less weird in context. But only slightly.
Rob Ford in General
Imagine if Chris Farley had held elected office. Well, Rob Ford is like thattimes a thousand! Toronto, Canadas late former mayor was like a walking, talking parody and the country, and indeed the world, could not look away. Fords 4 years as mayor were rife with scandals, from domestic disturbances at his home, to the guy making lewd remarks about his own wife on camera. However, arguably the coup de grace was the reveal of a video in 2013 of Ford doing crack cocaine. Ford was relieved of most of his duties as mayor for the rest of his term. But not before a second video of him doing crack emerged! People who say Canada is boring dont know what the hell theyre talking about!
#PigGate
UK Prime Ministers have faced some scandalous accusations, but few reach this level of strangeness. In 2015, an unauthorized biography of former British Prime Minister David Cameron was released. The book contains an unsubstantiated anecdote that during the initiation for a dining club, Cameron put his privates inside the mouth of a dead pig. If that sounds weird enough to be an episode of Black Mirror, thats because its basically the plot of that shows very first episode. While this is (probably) yet another example of a wild rumor taking on a life of its own, the alleged porcine necrophilia is both disturbing and funny enough that nobody could stop talking about it. Some news readers certainly tried - and failed.
Is there a crazy political scandal we forgot? Pull your favorites in the comments.
