General James Wilkinson

General James Wilkinson Commands War of 1812 Campaigns While Taking Contractor Kickbacks and Spanish Bribes

1813-07-01 00:00:00 +0000 UTC | Importance: 8/10

General James Wilkinson, the highest-ranking federal official ever tried for treason and espionage, commands two unsuccessful military invasion campaigns in the St. Lawrence River valley theater in Canada during the War of 1812 while simultaneously accepting kickbacks from contractors and receiving …

General James Wilkinson Spanish Empire U.S. Army contractors President James Madison military-corruption espionage contractor-fraud accountability-evasion elite-impunity

Burr Conspiracy and Acquittal Establishes Elite Immunity from Treason Prosecution

1806-11-27 00:00:00 +0000 UTC | Importance: 8/10

President Thomas Jefferson issues a proclamation warning that an unlawful military expedition against Spanish Mexico is being planned, marking the beginning of federal response to the Burr Conspiracy—a treasonous plot by former Vice President Aaron Burr to either invade Spanish territories or detach …

Aaron Burr General James Wilkinson President Thomas Jefferson Chief Justice John Marshall elite-corruption treason judicial-protection accountability-crisis institutional-capture