About This Episode
Lindsay Graham hosts American Scandal, a Wondery production that has become essential listening for anyone seeking to understand how power and deception intersect in American history. Since its debut on September 6, 2018, the podcast has released 151 weekly episodes, each typically running 32 to 40 minutes, methodically unpacking scandals that shaped the nation.
The podcast's central thesis appears in its tagline: "Every scandal begins with a lie. But the truth will come out. And then comes the fallout and the outrage." This framework guides investigations into events spanning from America's founding through the present day, drawing on the storytelling expertise of producers who also created American History Tellers, Business Wars, and Tides of History—a pedigree that shows in the narrative depth and historical context each episode provides.
The range of scandals covered is remarkably broad. Political scandals form a significant portion of the catalog, including the Chappaquiddick incident involving Senator Ted Kennedy and his 1969 Oldsmobile crash, which raised serious questions about the senator's account and resulted in a young woman's death. Another pivotal episode explored Spiro Agnew's dramatic fall from the vice presidency, titled "How Things Are Done in Baltimore," which aired on July 18, 2023. These political investigations reveal how institutional power can shield individuals from accountability—until it suddenly cannot.
Beyond politics, American Scandal has examined corporate and public health crises with equal rigor. A July 2023 episode focused on the opioid epidemic in America, specifically examining the fentanyl crisis and how corporate decisions contributed to a national tragedy. The podcast also investigated the "Kids for Cash" kickback scheme in May 2023, exposing how judges and officials profited from incarcerating juveniles. One episode, titled "The Joke that Landed a Girl in Jail," dramatized how a teenager's life was upended by judicial corruption, illustrating the human cost of institutional failure.
What distinguishes American Scandal from other true crime or history podcasts is its thematic focus on systemic deception rather than individual criminality alone. Each scandal examined represents a moment when institutional rot became impossible to ignore—when lies unraveled, evidence surfaced, and public outrage forced reckonings. The podcast treats these events as windows into how American power structures function, particularly where accountability breaks down.
The production quality reflects Wondery's resources and expertise. Episodes are meticulously researched, incorporating archival materials, historical documents, and expert context that help international audiences—unfamiliar with some American political history—understand not just what happened, but why these events mattered beyond their immediate moment.
As of April 14, 2026, the podcast continues releasing new episodes weekly, maintaining a release schedule that has kept listeners engaged for over seven years. The catalog spans diverse eras and sectors, ensuring that whether listeners are interested in political history, corporate malfeasance, or how institutions fail the public trust, American Scandal offers substantive explorations backed by serious research.
For international English-speaking audiences, American Scandal serves as a primer on American institutional failure and the cyclical nature of scandal in democratic systems. The podcast demonstrates that accountability, when it comes, often arrives only after years of deception, and that understanding these historical scandals provides crucial context for evaluating contemporary institutional crises.
Sources: - https://truecrimeconnection.com/listing/american-scandal/ - https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/american-scandal-722707 - https://www.playpodcast.net/podcast/american-scandal/ - https://podbay.fm/p/american-scandal/reviews - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/american-scandal/id1435516849
