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Join Wundry Plus in the Wundery app or on Apple Podcasts. It's the morning of March 22nd, 1924 in Washington, D.C.

Senator Thomas Walsh is sitting at a large oak desk in room 210 of the Senate office building

surrounded by stacks of notes and documents that he has meticulously prepared

for today's hearing. But his key witness is nowhere to be seen, and as the minutes ticked by, Walsh is growing increasingly frustrated.

For the last two years, Walsh has been leading the Senate's inquiry into whether three of the country's largest federal oil reserves were

illegally leased to private industry.

Walsh knows that leases were brokered in secret and without public bidding, and that the man responsible, the former Secretary of Interior

Albert Fall, received money, gifts, and job opportunities from the two oil tycoons who benefited

Edward Doheny and Harry Sinclair.

But time and time again Walsh has questioned the alleged conspirators and they've managed to

dodge or stonewall him.

At one point Sinclair even fled to Europe, presumably to avoid questioning.

Now Walsh's inquiry is winding down and his investigation is being handed over to a team of special

prosecutors.

They'll determine whether anyone involved in the oil leases might be subject to criminal charges.

As things stand now, that seems unlikely.

But today, Walsh has one last chance to make his case.

Sinclair has returned from Europe and has been summoned back to Senate Room 210,

and Walsh is determined to hold Sinclair to account. As Walsh has continued

his investigation in Sinclair's absence, he's uncovered new evidence that Sinclair

bribe fall for oil leases.

...