The Familial Blackmail Of A Popular Senator
By: Edward Anderson
Tags: True Crime, Family, LGBTQ, History, Politics

The Familial Blackmail Of A Popular Senator

The one time nominee for Vice President faced many issues.

Image from AP

In the annals of politics, there are men and women who shaped history. Some of them helped shape history in ways that are obvious and easily provable. Others helped shape society in ways that are more subtle and requires more research than is typical.

Senator Thomas Eagleton is one of the latter. Nearly 50 years after he was selected as George McGovern’s running mate, the legacy of the Missouri Senator has largely been forgotten. President Richard Nixon’s resignation and the Watergate scandal have overshadowed the other historical aspects of that time period.

But there are a number of things that happened to and with Eagleton at the center that are just as relevant in today’s political culture.

Run With Me

Presidential candidates do a deep vetting on their potential running mates. They look for any embarrassing comments that have been made, financial transactions, and political voting records. There are also checks into the background for any criminal behavior or anything that might come up during the campaign.

When Senator George McGovern won the Democrat’s nomination in 1972, it was under a cloud of controversy. Conservative journalist Robert Novak wrote a column that contained this quote from an unnamed Democrat senator:

“The people don’t know McGovern is for amnesty, abortion, and legalization of pot. Once middle America — Catholic middle America, in particular — finds this out, he’s dead.”

With that quote out, a black cloud hung over the McGovern campaign. The presidential candidate reached out to many prominent democrat leaders to find a running mate. The likes of Senator Ted Kennedy, Then-Senator Walter Mondale (who would go on to become Vice President), and former Vice President Hubert Humphrey turned down the offer to run with McGovern.

Finally, Thomas Eagleton said yes. But the pairing would be short-lived.

No Check Scandal

There was a small background check into Eagleton’s background leading up the Democratic Convention. It was customary at the time to look for criminal behavior and nothing else. Eagleton’s selection would change that.

Rumors began swirling right away that the Missouri senator was in ill health. He had been hospitalized quite a few times. Each of his visits was blamed on a gastritis issue. Rumors persisted that he had been treated with electroshock therapy for depression. Two weeks after he accepted the Vice Presidential nomination, Eagleton confessed that the rumors were true.

McGovern initially said he stand by his choice. But as he spoke with medical professionals, including Eagleton’s own doctors, warned him that the depression could return and prevent the vice president from carrying out his duties.

The decision was made to drop Eagleton from the ticket. From that point on a new vetting process was put into place.

Back To The Senate

In 1974, mere months after Nixon resigned, Eagleton was re-elected to the Senate. His decisive victory affirmed that he was popular in his home state, and that had he stayed on the ticket the election might have been slightly different.

As the 1980 election approached, Eagleton was confronted with a new scandal. His niece, Elizabeth Eagleton Weigand, and her lawyer, Stephen Poludniak blackmailed him. They threatened to tell the press that he was bisexual or gay. The reason for the familial blackmail? Weigand wanted to unload her stock in Missouri Pipe Fittings and funnel the money to the Church of Scientology.

The blackmail plot helped to create a tighter than usual senate race for the beloved figure. He won in a narrow victory. Weigand and Poludniak were arrested for their blackmail attempt.

Trial And Death

Weigand admitted to the blackmail attempt. She called the claims wild and that she was just trying to get the money. The jury heard Eagleton’s niece call her claims that the senator was bisexual “wild, preposterous and ridiculous.”

Eagleton told the court that he had been to Key West, the location where it was said he was carrying on a homosexual affair, one time. He had gone with his colleague, Senator Gaylord Nelson, and their sons. It was a fishing trip and one of the most wholesome things that one could do.

Weigand claimed that she wasn’t on board with blackmailing her uncle, but went along with it because her lawyer told her to do it. The jury did not buy their defense and convicted them.

Both Weigand and Poludniak appealed the decision all the way to the Supreme Court. They argued that because of “the massive publicity surrounding this case, coupled with the pre-existing sentiment in favor of Sen. Eagleton” a fair trial was not possible. Their appeal was denied and the SCOTUS did not hear their arguments.

Eagleton did not run for re-election in 1986. Instead, he returned to Missouri. He worked as a lawyer and professor of public affairs at Washington University in St. Louis. At some point, he also made amends with George McGovern.

In 1996, he gave a heartfelt introduction speech for McGovern, who was doing a promotional tour for his memoir.

The former senator passed on May 4, 2007. Mere months after his death, Robert Novak made an appearance on Meet The Press. During this interview, the journalist revealed that it was Eagleton who had made the disparaging comments about McGovern.

Eagleton’s last words to his family and the world were: “go forth in love and peace — be kind to dogs — and vote Democratic.”