Our Arklahoma Heritage: Bribery scandal in 1965 led to resignations, impeachment, and prison sentences for judges

In 1965, the Oklahoma Supreme Court was rocked by a scandal that exposed deep-rooted corruption within the state's judiciary. The scandal began with the conviction of Justice N.S. Corn on federal tax evasion charges.

The 1965 Oklahoma Supreme Court scandal involved several cases where bribes were accepted to influence court decisions.

One notable case was Selected Investments Corp. v. Oklahoma Tax Commission in 1957, where Justice Nelson Smith Corn admitted to taking a $150,000 bribe to influence the court's decision. After his conviction, Corn made shocking revelations, admitting to accepting bribes to influence court decisions from 1938 to 1959.

Corn revealed that he paid Justices Samuel Earl Welch and Napoleon Bonaparte Johnson $7,500 each to help form a majority in this case1.

The scandal came to light when state Representative G.T. Blankenship read a summary of Corn's sworn statement to the Oklahoma House of Representatives on January 21, 19651. The statement detailed how Corn, Welch, and Johnson had accepted bribes to rig votes on cases before the court.

The revelations led to a series of dramatic events. Welch resigned immediately after impeachment proceedings began, while Johnson refused to resign and became the first Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice to be impeached and removed from office.

The scandal also implicated former Oklahoma City Mayor O.A. Cargill, who was convicted of perjury.

The fallout from the scandal was significant. It led to a push for judicial reform in Oklahoma, culminating in the creation of the Oklahoma Court on the Judiciary in 19661. The reforms aimed to address the issues of inadequate campaign financing laws, low judicial salaries, and the influence of political contributions on judicial elections.

The 1965 Oklahoma Supreme Court scandal remains a dark chapter in the state's history, but it also served as a catalyst for much-needed judicial reforms. The courage of those who exposed the corruption and the subsequent reforms have left a lasting impact on the state's judicial system.