By Ray Cardello for May 3, 2026, Season 35 / Post 16

I have been around the sun far too many times to think that corrupt politicians only live on the left side of the aisle. I am a firm believer that D.C. will pull the soul out of the strongest of men and women who go there with the best intentions. The temptations and opportunities to dip your hand into the federal cookie jar are just too great for mortal humans, and I know there are no wings to be found in Washington, D.C. With that being said, I think there is a distinction between someone in public office enhancing their salary, and someone who gets so intoxicated on the power that they lose their moral compass altogether and become so arrogant that they believe they can write the laws, but those are simply words to control the have-nots, and the fortunate ones who write those words are far above them. No ill is good, but those taking advantage of those they are sworn to protect will sit closest to the fire of political hell. Corruption has no Party affiliation, and I’m sure we can find some dirt on anyone in the red uniforms. Still, the players dressed in blue are filling the pages with accusations of wrongdoings, and I can bet that Vegas, or online casinos nowadays, are laying odds on who the next Eric Swalwell will be.

2026 has been a very active year so far for people sneaking out the front door or being booted out the back of the Capitol. A wave of House resignations/expulsion pressures hit in April 2026, mostly over sexual misconduct or straight-up fraud:

• Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) resigned amid ethics findings of 25+ violations and charges that she allegedly funneled ~$5M in disaster relief funds to her campaign/luxury spending (classic crooked/fraud case).
• Others like Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) and Tony Gonzales (R-TX) resigned over sexual misconduct allegations (not financial “crookedness”). (NPR)

There are two favorites in the betting world to be the next to “Come on Down. You are Next on the Public Walk of Shame”: my personal favorite, Ilhan Omar (D-MN), and Cory Mills (R-FL) are both over 50% on the board as being gone by May 31. The internet is ripe these days with accusations about Dirty Dems, and if you can believe what you read, there is a plethora of special elections on the horizon. Let’s look at the notables.

• Nancy Pelosi: It would be sweet justice to see the self-righteous woman from Frisco strut across the stage one more time with her hands cuffed behind her back. Other than turning her head on every wrong done by one of her flock, it is well known that she and her husband have amassed a king’s ransom on insider trading, but the latest allegations are sickening:
  • EDI Associates: This partnership, which owns the El Dorado Hotel in Sonoma, California, received two loans totaling approximately $1.7 million ($711,708 and $996,392). Both loans were fully forgiven, including interest, totaling over $1.72 million in debt relief. [1, 2, 3]
  • Auberge du Soleil: A luxury Napa Valley resort where Paul Pelosi has held a long-term investment reportedly received roughly $9 million in various COVID-19 relief funds. [1]
  • Piatti Restaurant Company: Another firm in which Paul Pelosi held an investment received combined relief totaling millions alongside EDI Associates. (reported in Rollcall.com)

• This claim would be a trifecta: The disgraced low-life Eric Swalwell is not going down alone. Like the grammar school bully, he is pointing fingers as he fades away. Reports are that Swalwell has pointed to Raskin, Schiff, and Jeffries as being guilty of all of the same crimes as Swalwell is. Some sites have debunked this claim, and of course, the three deny all of it, but Schiff and Raskin do have actual charges to answer for.
  • Schiff was found to have moved his legal residence to the East Coast to avoid California’s heavy tax burden. A clear violation of Congressional rules, as any Rep or Senator must live in the district or state they represent. Adam Schiff needs to go for being the slimiest politician of the last decade, and that is saying something.
  • Raskin got greedy and caught. He is supposedly worth $14 million, but all that COVID money was within his reach.
    • The actual viral claim is about Biden’s student loan debt relief program: Posts allege Raskin received ~$304,000 in forgiveness for his daughter’s Stanford tuition under the Biden administration’s HEROES Act-based plan, was ordered to repay it by a “Judge Joseph A. Barron,” and that the family’s wealth (~$14M net worth) disqualified them. These posts include invented quotes and details.

• Tim Walz, the failed VP candidate and even more-failing (if that is even a term) Governor of Minnesota, will dread the call from Kamala Harris until his last breath. He will go down as either the dumbest politician of all time or the most corrupt. He teamed up with the Somali community in Minnesota to steal billions in various government funds for their own lifestyles, but worse, terrorist groups in Somalia. He is going to come up dirtier than Pigpen in a Charlie Brown cartoon. The question is, will he be cuffed as a governor or just a crook on the street? Stay tuned.

There are plenty more, but these live above the fold. The bottom line is that the American people want, though they may not deserve, accountability from these sinners. We rarely get it, but with these high-profile cases, someone will have to do a perp walk soon. They certainly will get our minds off the Epstein Files.