Senate Initiates Investigation of Teapot Dome Secret Oil Leases

Wyoming Democratic Senator John Kendrick introduced a resolution calling for investigation of the secret Teapot Dome oil lease deal after a Wyoming oil operator complained about Sinclair receiving the contract through a secret arrangement. Two days after the Wall Street Journal exposed the deal, Kendrick launched what would become one of the most significant investigations in Senate history. On April 29, 1922, Senator Robert La Follette of Wisconsin introduced a resolution directing the Senate Committee on Public Lands and Surveys to investigate the entire subject of naval oil reserve leases. This marked the beginning of congressional oversight that would eventually establish the authority of Congress to question the executive branch and demand information about its operations, setting a crucial precedent for future accountability measures.