It was indeed one of the biggest and most scandalous affairs in history. The affair between John Profumo, the British Secretary of State  and 19 year old Christine Keeler, said to be a one time mistress of a Russian spy, was made public in 1963. The affair rocked the world and the British government and led to the resignation of John Profumo and Prime Minister Harold Macmillan. It was later revealed that Profumo had met Keeler in 1961 at a party at Lord Astor’s mansion, Clivedon. She was a call girl, he was a married to an actress, Valerie Hobson. Profumo’s wife was also present at the party that night as was a known acquaintance of Christine Keeler, Dr Stephen Ward.

Christine Keeler in happier times

While the affair between John Profumo and Christine Keeler was short lived, rumors of the affair persisted into 1962 when a series of bizarre events let to revelations of Profumo’s infidelity. The end of the Keeler/ Profumo affair was certainly not the end of Christine Keeler’s controversial affairs. In 1962 her exboyfriend   
Johnny Edgecombe fired shots at the apartment she was staying in following a dispute. It so happens that the apartment was the home of Osteopath Dr Steven Ward, a long time friend of Christine Keeler.

Christine Keeler with Dr Stephen Ward

Her Jamaican boyfriend at the time was reported to be Aloysius “Lucky” Gordon, described as a drug dealer and part time jazz musician. Christine seemed to have had an attraction for violent men. When this relationship ended, he attacked her with an axe and held her hostage for 2 days. Keeler asked  her old boyfriend Johnny Edgecombe for  help her leading to a violent altercation between the 2 ex boyfriends, Johnny and Aloysius. When Christine sided with Aloysius,  Johnny  plotted to kill her.

John Profumo and wife

The earlier affair between Christine Keeler and Profumo was revealed in 1963 after she did not show up for the trial of Johnny Edgecombe, leading to the eventual admission and resignation of John Profumo. However, the fallout didn’t end there. Dr Stephen Ward was prosecuted for living off a prostitute and he committed suicide as a result.

Christine Keeler was sentenced to 9 months in jail for perjury. It was a sordid affair that ended badly for the conservative government of England at that time. Christine Keeler was a high priced call girl with a checkered past. As her affairs with subsequent men unravelled, so did Profumo’s secret affair with the prostitute.
 

President of the United States (1993 – 2001)

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News of Clinton’s extramarital affair with 22-year-old White House intern Monica Lewinsky broke out in January 1998, what became known as the Lewinsky Scandal. After issuing numerous strong denials, Clinton eventually admitted having “improper physical relationship” with Lewinsky during his testimony in Paula Jones’ sexual harassment lawsuit in August 2008, when key evidences surfaced, particularly blue dress stained with his semen. Clinton was consequently impeached for charges of obstruction of justice and perjury by the House of Representatives in December 1998; however, he would be acquitted by the Senate the following year.

John Profumo (1915 – 2006)

British Politician

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Profumo, the Secretary of State for War under Harold Macmillan’s administration, was unfortunately best known for his involvement in the Profumo Affair in 1963. At the very height of the Cold War, he was accused of putting national security at risk by his short-lived affair with Christine Keeler, a showgirl who was also having a relationship with Soviet naval attaché Eugene Ivanov. The scandal led to his resignation and withdrawal from politics following his admission of having misled the Commons when questioned about his friendship with Keeler.

Gary Hart (1936 – )

United States Senator – Colorado (1975 – 1987)

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Hart was clearly one of the favorites to clinch the Democratic nomination in the 1988 presidential election when he announced his candidacy in 1987. Then rumors started spreading that he was having an extramarital affair. In response, he dared the press to follow him around, noting that they won’t find anything interesting. However, Hart’s presidential campaign abruptly ended when the Herald was able to obtain pictures of him cavorting with then 29-year-old model Donna Rice aboard a yacht called Monkey Business.

François Mitterrand (1916 – 1996)

President of France (1981 – 1995)

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Adding excitement to his 14 years of presidency was the thrill of juggling two families. Mitterand was publicly known to have had many extramarital relationships, the most notable of which was with Anne Pingeot, with whom he had an illegitimate daughter, Mazarine. He wanted secrecy on his daughter’s existence, even going to the extent of ordering illegal wiretappings under the pretense of fighting terrorism to guarantee privacy. However, by 1994, Mitterand’s imminent retirement and deteriorating health meant he could no longer rely on the clout he once had among the French journalists, who cannot ignore Anne’s and Mazarine’s presence at his funeral.

Mark Foley (1954 – )

United States Congressman – Florida (1995 – 2006)

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Foley, the six-term Republican, resigned from Congress in 2006, following allegations that he sent numerous sexually explicit emails and instant messages from his personal AOL account to teenage boys who had served as congressional pages. As soon as the investigations began, many pages came forward, exposing at least a decade history of improper conduct by Foley and that it was common knowledge among the people on Capitol Hill including House Republicans, who chose to keep silent. However, no criminal charges were filed due to “insufficient evidence” since Foley only had sexual liaisons with some of them when they are no longer minors.

Pierre Sévigny (1917 – 2004)

Canadian Politician, Author and Academic

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Sévigny was thrust into the limelight in 1966 when his affair with East German immigrant Gerda Munsinger while serving as Deputy Defence Minister under John Diefenbaker’s government was made public. It was suspected that Munsinger was a Soviet spy and could pose a security risk. For a few weeks, Canada became consumed with the country’s first national political sex scandal, the Munsinger Affair. Though absolved of any guilt concerning any breach of security, Sévigny was chastised by the royal commission of inquiry for his behavior, while Diefenbaker was criticized for failing to fire Sévigny upon discovery of the latter’s indiscretion.

Clarence Thomas (1948 – )

Associate Justice, United States Supreme Court

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Thomas’ nomination to the Supreme Court in 1991 was instantly met with questions about his qualifications and opposition from several groups due to his conservative political views. Toward the end of the confirmation hearings that became notable for their sexually explicit content, the press released an FBI interview with Anita Hill, accusing Thomas of sexual harassment when they worked together in the early 1980s, leading to media frenzy. A few other women also corroborated Hill’s testimony on how he often made references to porn films, the female anatomy, his sexual prowess and various sex acts, but were not called to the stand. Thomas denied all allegations and was confirmed by the Senate by a narrow margin. However, new evidences, such as eyewitness accounts and video rental records proving his interest in pornography, were soon discovered but were later dropped as he had already been sworn in.

John Major (1943 – )

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1990 – 1997)

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Having battled “sleaze” during his term and having suffered a devastating electoral defeat in the 1997 general election, it’s no wonder why Major tended toward a low profile retirement, indulging himself in playing his favorite sport, cricket. But all bliss was disrupted in 2002, when Edwina Currie, a former Member of the Parliament, published her “Diaries 1987 – 1992″ disclosing her four-year affair with Major from 1984 to 1988. In a press statement, Major said that he was “embarrassed” about the affair and had privately revealed the matter to his wife who had since forgiven him.

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