History Main / CorruptPolitician

* ''Literature/{{Victoria}}'' has several, ranging from city officials and up to PresidentEvil, since the first part of the story chronicles the struggles of a band of vigilantes fighting the corrupt Establishment in a dystopian near-future United States.

** Sharteshane is ruled by gangs and corporations, and is currently in the pocket of the Beadman Syndicate. His method of ruling is to distract the king with BreadAndCircuses, and then use policy and skullduggery to maintain his monopoly on every product in the country.
** Then there's ''[[WretchedHive Alderode]]''. Religion rules the country[[note]]The upside is that religious freedom is enforced, but barely.[[/note]], caste systems are ''biologically'' enforced to churn out disposable soldiers and workers, and the threat of a religious upheaval causes one politician to consider mass-genocide to 'even the scales'.
** Rachshane is fantasy Islam; they follow an extreme sect of the continent's main religion, women are covered up at all times, the lower classes aren't allowed to learn magic, and there's frequent purges of undesirables who can't escape the walls. They're also responsible for Sharteshane's poverty. The worst part? The implication that ''they will eventually take over the whole continent'' because they [[MugglesDoItBetter don't depend on magic to develop technology]] and will be prepared [[GreenAesop if the prophecies about magic destroying the world are true]].

** Sharteshane is ruled by gangs and corporations, and is currently in the pocket of the Beadman Gang-Corporation hybrid. His method of ruling is to distract the king with BreadAndCircuses, and then use policy and skullduggery to maintain his monopoly on every product in the country.
** Then there's ''Alderode''. Religion rules the country, caste systems are biologically enforced to enforce disposable soldiers and workers, and the threat of a religious upheaval causes one politician to consider mass-genocide to 'even the scales'.

** If approached about the topic, Seeq agrees that Lum needs to go and admits to considering taking his place themself. It also costs exactly 100 Kudos to get them to support someone else during a vote for a new Governor [[spoiler:unless Eudicot is saved, in which she calls Seeq out for extorting money from a minor in exchange for a vote]]. Sol's own internal narration points out that ambitions to be Governor and being easy to bribe isn't exactly the best combination of traits for a single person to have.

* In ''VideoGame/IWasATeenageExocolonist'', Lum has absolutely ''no'' knowledge on how to properly run a colony other than using force to sway people into supporting his militaristic vision for it. According to Rex, he was a "meathead military guy" who was [[DeskJokey assigned a desk job to keep him from causing trouble]], and he [[YouAreInCommandNow only became the Governor because the Helio crew who were more fit for the job died when the ship passed through the wormhole.]]

* In ''Manga/PrivateActress'', one of Shiho Kobayakawa's jobs includes getting close to a guy like this. [[spoiler:The man was the former lover of Shiho's CoolBigSis and ParentalSubstitute, Makiko Mori, who even bore him an illegitimate child named Hiromi (who lives in the country with Makiko's family). To punish the guy for mistreating [[TheMistress his former mistress]], Shiho makes herself pass for Hiromi when the guy wants to "clean up" huis' image as a part of his latest campaign and, being a mix of {{All Loving Hero}}ine and {{Guile Hero}}ine, manages to make him pull a HeelFaceTurn. (As a bonus, Hiromi turns out to be a ''teenage boy'', though to be fair one with a GenderBlenderName.)]]

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[[quoteright:299:[[Series/HouseOfCardsUS https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/14187_002.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:299:[[WildlifeCommentarySpoof Here we see the vilest of creatures in his natural habitat]], ''[[BinomiumRidiculus Sleazicus politicus]],'' [[TitleDrop the corrupt politician]].]]

* A large proportion of the higher level villains in ''Anime/GhostInTheShellStandAloneComplex'', particularly the second season (the villains of the first were mainly {{Corrupt Corporate Executive}}s, with political connections). These included the BigBad and a couple of one shot antagonists.

* Numerous examples show up in the ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' franchise
** The Earth Federation of the Universal Century timeline have caused many of the conflicts due to their actions. They exploited the Spacenoids, leading to Zeon Zum Daikun's desire to independence, which in turn got hijacked by the Zabis, leading to the One Year War of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam''. The creation of the Anti-Earth Union Group was caused by these same people turning away from the atrocities caused by the Titans in ''Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam'' and they willingly allowed Dublin, Ireland be destroyed by ColonyDrop in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamZZ''.
** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamIronBloodedOrphans'': The Seven Stars of Gjallarhorn are effectively both politicians and military leaders, and several of them are unapologetically corrupt. Most notable is Rustal Elion, commander of Gjallarhorn's largest fleet, who firmly opposes any reforms to the corruption in the organization and has gone so far as attempting to assassinate world leaders and starting proxy wars in order to undermine his political rivals. Before him is Iznario Fareed, who went so far as misappropriating Gjallarhorn forces and having them barricade a city in order to ensure a Prime Minister election went in favor of his preferred candidate.
* Mr. Heartland, the mayor of Heartland City in ''Anime/YuGiOhZexal'' and TheDragon to Dr. Faker. He would also become a lacky of the Seven Barian Emperors and becomes a Barian himself in season II.

* In ''Manga/PrivateActress'', one of Shiho Kobayakawa's jobs includes getting close to a guy like this. [[spoiler: The man was the former lover of Shiho's CoolBigSis and ParentalSubstitute, Makiko Mori, who even bore him an illegitimate child named Hiromi (who lives in the country with Makiko's family). To punish the guy for mistreating [[TheMistress his former mistress]], Shiho makes herself pass for Hiromi when the guy wants to "clean up" huis image as a part of his latest campaign and, being a mix of {{All Loving Hero}}ine and {{Guile Hero}}ine, manages to make him pull a HeelFaceTurn. (As a bonus, Hiromi turns out to be a ''teenage boy'', though to be fair one with a GenderBlenderName.)]]

[[folder: Manhwa]]
* ''Manhwa/LevelOnePlayer'' is rife with them. But the first on-screen case is the incredibly StupidEvil Lee Hang-gu who ''immediately'' files ridiculous claims, such as "loss of rented equipment" and "breach of contract" against Choi Hyungsung and family ''the instant'' he gets word that the main character died in action, and kicks the dog a bit more by trying to strong-arm Choi's family into giving up their estate, even flat-out evicting them from the family home, ''and billing them'' for all the living expenses Choi provided. When Choi asks him for an apology, Lee Hang-gu goes apoplectic, thinking he's being disrespected, because his yes-men keep telling him he did nothing wrong.

* ''ComicBook/{{Asterix}}'': ''Recap/AsterixInSwitzerland'' has the Roman governor of Condatum who took ridiculously large amounts of tax money in his province for his own purposes while only giving a meager four or five gold pieces to Rome. The plot itself starts when an inspector from Rome came to his province to investigate this and he is poisoned by said governor, which ends up bringing Asterix and co. into the picture.
* Every single politician ComicBook/{{Batman}} meets in Gotham with the exception of [[FaceHeelTurn District Attorney Harvey Dent]] and [[TheSheriff Police Commissioner Gordon]]. Justified because Gotham is a WretchedHive: Marion Grange was not corrupt and tried to help Gotham, but she was underfunded and was assassinated before her term ended.
** One of the more notable examples is councilman Rupert Thorne, who was such a major antagonist in the late 70s comics that he was invited to an AuctionOfEvil reserved for the most prominent Batman rogues.
** A common scenario in adaptations or Elseworlds stories is for either Penguin or Two-Face to run for Mayor. In nearly all such stories, they fit the trope pretty well.
** In ComicBook/{{Nightwing}}'s city Blüdhaven, after the official swearing in ceremony the Mayor has a second ceremony where they meet with the heads of the city’s organised crime families and the Police Commissioner hands them a symbolic suitcase full of money.
** In ''ComicBook/BatmanGordonOfGotham,'' Harcourt Greene wins a political election by rigging voting machines and having his own mother killed to get sympathy votes. Twenty years later, he tries to do something similar while running for President.

* ''ComicBook/{{The Transformers|Marvel}}'' (the original Marvel series, specifically the ''Headmasters'' miniseries) featured Lord Zarak of the Nebulan Council of Peers. Whereas his political rival, Galen, sought to open talks with the newly-arrived Autobot colonists looking to escape their ForeverWar, Zarak sought to undermine Galen's position on the Council by manipulating events to paint the Autobots as the invaders he perceived them to be. When he couldn't turn public opinion fast enough - even after [[AstroTurf hiring anti-Autobot protestors]] - he turned to [[GodzillaThreshold inviting the Decepticons to Nebulos]] just to get rid of the Autobots. Zarak even went so far as to become Scorponok's Headmaster partner just to counter Galen's bonding with Fortress Maximus. To say it didn't go well is an {{Understatement}}. When [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone he finally realized what he'd done]], Zarak convinced Galen to take the Autobots to Earth, while Zarak would take the Decepticons to pursue. This effectively exiled them from their homeworld for the rest of their lives, but ensured Nebulos would have the chance to recover.
* ''ComicBook/TheTransformersIDW'' comics featured a diverse corrupt Senate. With the Decepticons rising, Proteus issues some pretty harsh plans, hoping to stop the lower classes from rebelling by having them lobotomized, and killing anyone in his way (and even before the uprising, disfiguring and reprogramming any enemy of the corruption). Ratbat seeks to profit from the whole uprising. Decimus isn't as corrupt, simply set in the ways of the rich profiting over the poor. [[spoiler:Shockwave]] may be the only non-corrupt senator, as he tries to stop the deaths and killings. Ironically, we learn that Senator Momus was in league with the Decepticons because... He hung out with poor people, and invited them to parties.
** The Primes before Optimus recovered [[OnlyGoodPeopleMayPass the true Matrix]] were even worse: Nominus was a pawn of the Senate, Sentinel used his position to push for [[TheSocialDarwinist social Darwinist ideals]], and Zeta took about four seconds to go from "friendly and approachable guy" to "blinged-out robot Skeletor".
* In one three-part ComicBook/SpiderMan story, there was Senator Bradley Miles. Somewhat penny-ante as far as this Trope went (the greater evils here were ComicBook/DoctorOctopus and a MegaCorp named Biotechnix, which Miles was accepting bribes from), but one ''very'' memorable part of the story was when Spidey confronted him and threatened to leak the story to the press:
-->'''Miles:''' What makes you think they'll believe you over me?
-->'''Spidey:''' Because I'm not a politician!
* ''Lots'' of ComicBook/XMen villains, most of them anti-mutant bigots:

* ''ComicBook/{{Crimson}}'' featured Victor Van Fleet, an US senator who is secretly a very powerful vampire lord with aspirations for [[PresidentEvil presidency]]. He is also in league with [[Myth/{{Lilith}} Lisseth]] to bring forth the apocalypse.
* ''ComicBook/ButtonMan'': The Voices, the people who pay for and organize the duels to the death between the Button Men, includes several politicians.
* ''ComicBook/{{Raptors}}'': Senator Paxton is an American senator and member of the vampire council.
* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1987'': Senator David Hale helps work to impose sanctions and a barricade around Themyscira at the behest of his villainous girlfriend Victoria Cale with the end goal being war with the Amazons in order to steal their technology and other resources.

* In the ''Manga/DeathNote'' political [[AlternateUniverseFic AU]] ''Fanfic/ThoseWhoStandForNothingFallForAnything'', most of the cast are either this or ''merely'' [[ItsAllAboutMe callously indifferent to the suffering of others]]. [[UnreliableNarrator Light]] claims that an aspiring politician needs to at least ''look'' a bit corrupt just to [[InWithTheInCrowd look "approachable"]] in order to succeed in politics.
* In the ''Series/{{NCIS}}'' novel-length [[AlternateUniverseFic AU]] ''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/686710 Shards To A Whole]]'' (NSFW), it's discovered that corruption in the US political system is so rife that [[spoiler:every election since 1932 was rigged]].
* In ''Fanfic/ErosTurannos'', Vader and Padme each acknowledge that there are various corrupt senators in both the Republic and the Empire, although Padme wants to believe at least some of them can be better where Vader has a very cynical view of the political process.
* ''Fanfic/HalloweenUnspectacular'' has President Fulton, introduced in the seventh edition's StoryArc. At first, he's just another {{Trumplica}}, but at the climax [[spoiler: he sells out to [[ThoseWackyNazis PURITY]], partially out of FantasticRacism but mostly just so he can increase his own power base]].
** The story "Countdown", from the first edition, has the Prosperity Party, led by [[WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom Vlad Masters]]. Using electoral fraud to gain a massive majority in the government, they then ram through legislation to allow for increased mining and processing of blue ectoplasm, despite how dangerous it is (both to mine and as a power source) simply because they can profit from it. And their reaction to the resulting public outcry is a military crackdown which triggers a civil war.

** The leading Asari Matriarchs are shown in a very negative light, repressing any sort of cultural or technological change that might threaten their stranglehold on power. This reaches the point where, during the Reaper War, they undermine Marshal T'Drak's war effort, since her more progressive tactics are winning her enough prestige to be a potential rival, regardless of the danger they're putting their own citizens in as a result. [[spoiler: After the war's end, T'Drak exposes all of this, then takes the public outcry as a mandate to stage a MilitaryCoup and remove them all from power.]]

* Compared to the [[WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug canon show]], where he was reasonable, if a little flawed, Mayor Andre is turned into one of these in ''Blog/MiraculousRewrite''. Case in point, rather then Chloe goading him into it, he choses to sabotage Clara's video shoot on his own, with Chloe even trying to prevent it. It also later reveal that he [[spoiler: rigged the last election]].
* Discussed in Chapter 80 of ''Fanfic/BlazBlueAlternativeRemnant''. Robyn confesses to May that one of her biggest fears if she wins the council seat is that she'll become this, being familiar with the stories of how someone fighting for justice enters the political arena, only to become no different than the other corrupt politicians. May shoots the idea down, even bringing up her former family and how they'd do any underhanded action to get ahead, by telling Robyn that she's nothing like them even at her worst. Joanna further throws off the notion by telling Robyn that she has the Happy Huntresses by her side to keep her stable if council politics start getting to her, making it clear that they'll do everything they can to avert this trope.

* Senator Chor from ''Film/CityWarriors'', a minister who secretly runs a human trafficking and prostitution ring and keeping their shady activities secret with his authority. He's eager to send his [[TheDragon dragon]], Sai-kit, to silence anyone who knew his true identity to prevent anybody from testifying him, and later [[BlatantLies claims to the press that he is an honest political figure whose rivals are spreading false lies about him to tarnish his reputation]].
* ''Film/HeadOffice'': Jack's father is an abrasive senator who is only loyal to people who bribe him.
* ''Film/TheRacket'', a 1928 silent film about bootleggers in what is clearly meant to be Chicago, features an entire corrupt city government, that always gets the local bootlegging kingpin out of jail whenever the honest cop arrests him.

* The film of ''Film/VForVendetta'' turns the Norsefire into corrupt bastards who used a bioterror weapon against their own people in order to fuel their rise to power.

* ''Film/Zone39'': Commander-in-Chief Tito will do anything to protect his position as the leader of the Central Union, including murdering anyone who knows about the water contamination, and misappropriating water from working class towns
* ''Film/OnTheJob'': Senator Manrique, one of many influential government crooks who (indirectly of course) pay hitmen to assassinate their potential rivals -- but considering the [[UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}} setting of]] [[UsefulNotes/{{Manila}} the film]], [[CrapsackWorld this is hardly surprising]].
* ''Film/DeepCover'': Hector Guzman is a prominent Latin American diplomat who plays golf with George Bush Sr. and is also the kingpin of a drug cartel with his nephew Gallegos as the front man.
* ''Film/PoliceAcademy''; [[spoiler:In the sixth movie, the villain behind the crime wave is a shadowy mastermind, revealed at the end to be [[WalkingSpoiler the Mayor]], using criminals to devalue property so he can buy it cheap, a multi-million dollar real estate scam.]]
* Boss Tweed of ''Film/GangsOfNewYork''. While running a volunteer fire brigade, he spends so much time trying to sabotage rivals that he totally overlooks putting out fires. Then he tries to partner up with Bill the Butcher to get some muscle. He is in fact based on a real person of the same name, and the film did not much exaggerate the corruption.
* ''Film/SweetGirl'': Diana Morgan at first seems like an honest politician fighting to get Americans affordable medications. However, it turns she's taken bribes by the same pharmaceutical company she starts out fighting, and even ordered the murder of a journalist looking into this.
* President Orlean in ''Film/DontLookUp'', a {{Trumplica}} who has stacked her administration with cronies and megadonors, appointed her incompetent son to be her Chief of Staff, and who tries to silence the early forecast of the world-ending comet until after the midterms. It's not until she needs a distraction from a sex scandal around her Supreme Court apointee that she does something about it. Even then, she cancels a solid plan from [=NASA=] on the instruction of one of her megadonors, who wants to let the comet approach perilously close so that he can use his company's resources to mine it before breaking it apart. [[spoiler:It fails, and the comet wipes out life on Earth as a result.]]
* In ''Film/TheTripper'', Mayor Hal Burton is taking kickbacks from festival organiser Frank Baker to keep the festival open despite the murders.
* ''Film/GlassOnion'': While Claire's political career and current senate campaign is publicly backed by her billionaire friend Miles, under the table said funding is contingent on her signing off on energy deals that contradict her green image, which cause her no end of stress throughout the film.
* In ''Film/PhantomOfTheMallEricsRevenge'', after discovering Eric's plot to blow up the mall, Peter and Melody find Mayor Wilton, and tell her everything. The mayor pulls a pistol and marches them to Harv's office. There, the mayor confesses she is part owner of the mall and was in on the Matthews murders.
* ''Film/DeadlyHarvest'': After exploring multiple unfeasible options such as building giant hydroponic gardens and switching to an all-seaweed diet, the [[NoNameGiven unnamed]] Minister of Agriculture decides that the best way to resolve the whole climate crisis is to claim a temporary supply distribution problem, cut food rations by 50 percent, institute martial law, and create a media blackout so that the ordinary citizens will effectively starve before realizing how serious the situation has become.

* ''Literature/BenSaffordMysteries:''

--> ''Congressman Michael Atamian (D., Calif), during his five terms in Congress, had sponsored no legislation, skipped most committee work, and missed too many roll calls. All his efforts were devoted to taking care of the interests of Dorland Aircraft.''
* ''Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'' plays this trope for laughs. The president of the galaxy is ''expected'' to be corrupt and is occasionally imprisoned upon election.
* Willard Phule, of ''Literature/PhulesCompany'', aka [[TheGoodCaptain Captain Jester]], encounters Governor Wingas on his maiden tour after his promotion. The governor eagerly awaits a "campaign contribution" from the newly arrived ''very'' wealthy man.
* Senator John Caddrick shows up late in the ''Literature/TimeScout'' series, is deep in bed with TheSyndicate and personally ordered multiple murders. His reputation is ''fearsome'' and well-deserved.

* The governments of the ''Literature/AllianceUnion'' universe are complex, to say the least, with government, economics, and the web of alliances all messily tied together, thanks to the vast distances involved in space travel and an FTL drive that isn't magical, and the fact that every space station and space ''ship'' is a separate nation. The Viking station is essentially a third world country, with the difficulties that implies, and the Esperance station is a border nation grown fat off of multiple, multiple smuggling operations. The government of Esperance is explicitly corrupt.
* Creator/RobertAHeinlein had a dim view of politicians in general and considered an idealist untrustworthy because he'll break any promise if convinced it's for The Greater Good. [[InsaneTrollLogic A dirty politician is trustworthy because he knows he has a reputation to maintain.]]
** In ''Literature/StrangerInAStrangeLand'', Jubal Harshaw is glad to learn that Secretary Douglas, head of the Federated Nations, is the sort of politician who, once bought, stays bought.
** ''Literature/MagicInc'' has an extensive discussion of politics and the corruption that runs them when the protagonists try the legal route to ousting the titular company. The politics are so corrupt, they have to resort to fighting magic with magic.
* Politicians don't often show up in the ''Literature/AubreyMaturin'' 'verse. Perhaps the most notable exception is Aubrey's father, General Aubrey, MP. Aubrey, in all innocence, tells his father about a stock tip he got[[note]]For saving a man's life. Aubrey asked his father to keep it a secret, just as the stranger did.[[/note]]. The good General then tells ''everyone'' he knows. End result: Aubrey is convicted of the early nineteenth century version of insider trading, spends a day in the stocks, and loses his commission. [[SarcasmMode Nice job, dad]].
* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'':
** Subverted in ''Literature/SmallGods'': The ruler of Ephebe is one of the only elected rulers on the Disc and they call him "Tyrant". Generally, he's honest, if somewhat cynical.
** In ''Literature/TheLastContinent'', we learn that the remote and little-known land of XXXX also has an elected ruler -- and a tradition of throwing each new ruler into jail as soon as he's elected, on the assumption that it will save time later.
* Is there a single honest politician in ''Literature/AtlasShrugged''? No. In order to be a politician in that book, you have to want power over others, and that makes you a LEECH.
* There's a parliamentary faction in the ''Literature/PrinceRoger'' 'verse dedicated to overthrowing the Empire of Man which includes Roger's father. As part of the coup plot, the Empress is {{Mind Rape}}d so severely that she ultimately [[spoiler:steps down as Empress because her mind is so broken]] once the coup is finally put down.

** In a very mild example, Sonja Hemphill engages in corruption when she [[IDidWhatIHadToDo chooses the needs of the Star Kingdom]] over [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections the integrity of the military judicial system]]. When faced with the CourtMartial of Captain Pavel Young, the heir to North Hollow, two of the officers on the trial are [[JuryAndWitnessTampering bought and paid for]] by North Hollow, while three others agree that the Captain has committed an offense that carries the death penalty. Hemphill agrees with the latter, ''but'' she knows that if Young is executed, it'll be impossible to get a declaration of war through Parliament[[note]]as one of the Kingdom's highest-ranking admirals, she knows full well that war is coming whether Manticore is ready or not[[/note]]. She votes no on the capital offense, while voting yes on the charges that will get Young dishonorably discharged.
* Insofar as there ''are'' politicians in ''Literature/SnowCrash'', they're corrupt. Everyone's corrupt. [[CrapsackWorld Everything's corrupt.]]
* In Creator/TadWilliams' ''Literature/{{Otherland}}'', half the members of [[TheConspiracy the Grail Brotherhood]] are heads of state. The rest merely ''own'' heads of state.
* Many politicians in the ''Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse'', many of them Bothans. This is because Bothans have a ''very'' ruthless, predatory attitude towards politics, and they see any politician who isn't doing anything in his power and making whatever shady deals he needs to in order to cement his office and get rid of the opposition isn't doing his job right. This is particularly notable in ''Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy'', when Bothan leader Borsk Fey'lya does everything he can to ruin Admiral Ackbar and take over his position even when it's detrimental to the New Republic war effort. [[MagnificentBastard Thrawn]] himself notes that he never tried subverting Fey'lya, since he was helping the Empire so well as he was that Thrawn just didn't need to.
* In ''Literature/TheNexusSeries'', several characters on the ERD's side are [[TheDreaded terrified]] of Special Adviser Maximilian Barnes for the things it's been rumored he's done. [[spoiler:This is justified in "Crux", where it's revealed that Barnes has orchestrated several [[FalseFlagOperation fake transhuman terrorist attacks]] to drum up favor for candidates running on [[NoTranshumanismAllowed anti-transhuman technology platforms]]. He kills [[ReluctantMadScientist Dr. Holtzmann]] for [[HeKnowsTooMuch figuring this out]].]]
* ''Literature/{{Victoria}}'' has several, ranging from city officials and up to PresidentEvil, since the first part of the story chronicles the struggles of a band of vigilantes fighting the corrupt Establishment in a dystopian near-future United States.
* In ''Literature/TheDivineComedy'', they're put in the fifth Bolgia of Malebolge, the eighth circle of hell. Their punishment is to remain immersed in a lake of boiling pitch, lest demons called the Malebranche spear them with pitchforks and torture them.
* In ''Literature/YouAreDeadSignHerePlease'' all of Dead Donkey's politicians are corrupt as a matter of principle.
* Lucius Cassius from ''Literature/DarkShores'' uses favors, {{Blackmail}} and considerate fortune (acquired through shady means) to rise to the position of consul of Celendrial Empire. And everyone knows that he is not going to be a good leader of the country, as he is too hungry for power and conquest.
* Commissioner Clive Viceman in ''Literature/TheMentalState'' has ultra-conservative political views and gladly exploits his official position to boost his popularity. He prefers dealing increasing amounts of punishment to people who break the law because they are addicted to drugs rather than actually try to help them overcome their addictions. He is also willing to interfere with the rights of prisoners in order to spy on inmates, dig up dirt on them and expose them to the public.

* ''Literature/TheCatWhoSeries'': Gregory Blythe, the mayor of Pickax, mockingly referred to as "Hizzonor" for most of the series. He's eventually voted out as a result of the events of book #23 (''The Cat Who Smelled a Rat''), [[spoiler: which saw him arrested for his involvement in a Ponzi scheme]], and replaced with Amanda Goodwinter, the local JerkWithAHeartOfGold.
* ''Literature/SwansBraidAndOtherTalesOfTerizan'': In "Swan's Braid" Councilor Saladaz turns out to have been an accomplice of the gang Hyrantaz led, giving them tips with part of their loot as his reward. Two other Councilors were as well, with all three beheaded after it's found out.

* How corrupt is Mayor Wilkinson, of ''Series/{{Buffy|The Vampire Slayer}}'''s Sunnydale? He sold his ''soul''. The only reason Sunnydale exists is because he set it up as a demon/vampire smorgasbord. How does he keep getting elected, decade after decade? He's a genuinely competent and dedicated administrator who does an excellent job of running the city. He just also wants to become a giant snake demon.
* ''Series/{{Castle|2009}}'':
** It gives us a district attorney willing to pervert the justice system to retain the backing of a very wealthy family. A mild example, but he nearly convicted an innocent man of murder to help secure his election.
** There's also Mayor Bob, friend to Castle who features prominently in the episode 'Dial M for Mayor.' There's ample evidence to suggest that he's embezzling funds and was involved in a murder, but he attests that he's being set up. Subverted in that he's right and the conspiracy that shot down his run for governor are the same guys [[spoiler:involved in Beckett's mother's murder.]]
** "After the Storm" gives us [[spoiler:William H. Bracken, Senator for New York and the man behind the murder of Beckett's mother.]]
* ''Series/ChiefOfStaff'': This series plays the parliament of South Korea as being ridden with corruption from top to bottom, with assemblymen taking bribes and basically being owned by evil {{Corrupt Corporate Executive}}s. Even Minister Song, who rises from the assembly to become Minister of Justice, has his corporate owner, evil Chairman Sung, whom Minister Song addresses as "sir". Idealistic Jang Tae-joon goes into politics and worms his way into this organization, eventually becoming an assemblyman himself, so he can take it down from the inside.
* ''Series/DoctorWho'': The Grand Serpent, who arranges the deaths of relatives of a political opponent as part of a deal. He also gets his guard ReassignedToAntarctica after the latter tried to blow the whistle.
* The ''Series/{{Dollhouse}}'' has a number of powerful connections. Yet another senator cashes in the favor. Hell, [[spoiler:they got a doll elected as a senator so they could rig an investigation into themselves and set it up to fail.]]
* ''Series/TheEndgame'': Joan Bradbury turns out to be a corrupt official who's taken money from a [[TheCartel Mexican drug cartel boss]] in exchange for information on federal operations against him.
* ''Series/GameOfThrones'':
** The small council is often filled with self-serving courtiers.
** Cersei has all the makings of a crooked politician (dishonesty, underhandedness, a sleazy private life, disregard for the law, self-entitlement, paranoia, etc.) and very few of the attached EvilVirtues beyond ambition and determination. She's also occasionally murderous, but much less so than other courtiers or her book counterpart, until she goes genocidal and blows up the Great Sept of Baelor with wildfire, killing hundreds, if not thousands.
--> '''Cersei:''' When you play the Game of Thrones, you win or you die.
* A story arc on ''Series/HomicideLifeOnTheStreet'' centered around a Republican Congressman trying to cover up his secret boyfriend by [[EpicFail (ineptly)]] framing him for kidnapping. Pembleton easily figures out that the kidnapping never existed, but he's persuaded by his superiors to cover it up… which bites him in the ass when the press finds out about it and it becomes a massive scandal, with Pembleton left as the scapegoat.
* One episode of ''Series/KolchakTheNightStalker'' had a politician who had made a DealWithTheDevil so he could have both political and satanic power, as well as being able to kill anyone who opposed him. [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking He also took bribes]], and performed the occasional HumanSacrifice for good measure. [[TakeThat In other words, a typical politician.]]
* Near the end of ''Series/LawAndOrder'''s run, we meet Governor Shavloy, who consorts with prostitutes and more.

* Governor James Devlin of ''Series/{{Oz}}'' is established as a corrupt politician and, over the course of the series, evolves into the modern American equivalent of an EvilOverlord.
* A {{Series/Wallander}} episode has a former Minister of Justice murdered for belonging to a [[spoiler:human-trafficking ring]] and using his powers to protect his accomplices.
* Most of the politicians on ''Series/TheWire'', with Senator Clay Davis earning particular mention for his alliance with Baltimore's organized crime syndicates. In fact, this guy is ''beyond'' shameless, even ripping off those same gangsters with some straight-up bullshitting about bribes that actually go nowhere and using his public office to protect himself from them. The show ultimately makes the depressing argument that political corruption is InherentInTheSystem, suggesting that its the easiest (if not the only) way to ensure re-election.
* Parker's ex on ''Series/KillerWomen'' is a state senator who doesn't want to let her go. So he turns their divorce hearing into a complete sham by having a judge he just ''happens'' to be friends with hear the case. The judge then tries to make it sound like Parker's just being unreasonable for thinking the fact her ex is a {{Domestic Abuse}}r counts as 'irreconcilable differences'.
* Congressman Frank Underwood of ''Series/HouseOfCardsUS'' is not above using any and all means necessary to reach his goals.
* ''Series/{{Dominion}}'': David Whele, for all his talk of everything he does being [[WellIntentionedExtremist for the sake of protecting Vega from extermination by the angels]], is clearly only interested in advancing the power of himself and his family. This is best exemplified when Alex is revealed to be TheChosenOne, and Whele views him as a personal threat, rather than the last hope for humanity's survival.

* Pretty much the entirety of the Ukrainian government in ''Series/ServantOfThePeople''.
* From ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'':
--> “We would like to apologize for the way in which politicians are represented in this programme. It was never our intention to imply that politicians are weak-kneed, political time-servers who are more concerned with their personal vendettas and private power struggles than the problems of government. Nor to suggest at any point that they sacrifice their credibility by denying free debate on vital matters in the mistaken impression that party unity comes before the well-being of the people they supposedly represent. Nor to imply at any stage that they are squabbling little toadies without an ounce of concern for the vital social problems of today. Nor indeed do we intend that viewers should consider them as crabby, ulcerous, little self-seeking vermin with furry legs and an excessive addiction to alcohol and certain explicit sexual practices which some people might find offensive. We are sorry if this impression has come across."
* ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'': In "[[Recap/AgentsOfSHIELDS2E6FracturedHouse Fractured House]]", there's [[spoiler: Julian Beckers, the Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs]], who's a member of Comicbook/{{HYDRA}}.
* ''Series/TheDefenders2017'':
** ''Series/Daredevil2015'':
*** Wilson Fisk's abusive father Bill Fisk had the aspiration to be one, which is why he ran in the local elections. He funded his campaign by borrowing money from Don Rigoletto with the understanding that if elected he would repay the money through kickbacks. However, he lost and Rigoletto soon wanted his money back. He blamed his loss on his wife and attacked her, prompting Wilson to kill him in self-defense.
*** Wilson Fisk has a number of politicians on his payroll, such as Senator Randolph Cherryh, whose role is to alter zoning regulations so Fisk can complete his goal of turning Hell's Kitchen into residences for the rich.
*** District Attorney Samantha Reyes. She is ready to go through anything, including illegal measures, to get by, and turns out to be responsible for the botched sting that got Frank Castle's family killed. Matt says Reyes wouldn't even buy a pack of gum if it didn't further her career, while Karen finds that she has a habit of [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder backstabbing her own allies]] to save her own ass.
** ''Series/LukeCage2016'': Councilwoman Mariah Dillard is cousin to Cornell "Cottonmouth" Stokes, and embezzled funds to fund the renovation of Cottonmouth's nightclub Harlem's Paradise. She's also responsible for scheming with Willis "Diamondback" Stryker to bulk-sell [[AbnormalAmmo Judas bullets]] to the NYPD.
* ''Series/HandOfGod'': Pernell and Bobo, the mayor. Once Pernell gets religion, he starts to change somewhat, annoying Bobo to no end.
* ''Series/{{Gotham}}'', in keeping with its canonical roots, has yet to have a mayor who isn't corrupt or downright villainous:

* A running theme in ''Franchise/StarTrek'', starting with [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration TNG]] and culminating with [[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine DS9]], is the endemic corruption of the Klingon ruling class, despite their cultural emphasis on personal honor. First is the House of Duras, whose members (at least those we see) have conspired with foreign powers to subvert their own government. Next is Chancellor Gowron, who ''might'' be a ReasonableAuthorityFigure if not for his habit of putting personal ambition over the good of the Empire. Through all of this, the High Council's primary duty appears to be covering their own asses whenever there's a scandal.
* On the ''Series/{{Cheers}}'' episode "Where Nobody Knows Your Name" (Season 9, episode 4, original airdate October 11, 1990), Sam goes to visit [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Robin Colcord]] in his country club prison. As they leave the tennis court, an older man walks in and Sam points to him and says, "I voted for that guy."
* Season 3 of ''Series/StrangerThings'' has Mayor Larry Kline, who is revealed to have sold out to the Soviets, helping them to use legal loopholes to push out local land owners so that they can buy the land and build the Starcourt Mall on it as a cover for their ElaborateUndergroundBase. In his defense, he seems genuinely scared of them and implies he was forced into it, but that hasn't stopped him from continuing along with it even though he has the evidence to expose them.

* ''Series/YesMinister:'' The main characters generally avoid slipping into this trope. Jim is generally aware of his moral compass even when he is doing his best to ignore it, Sir Humphrey is a devoted servant of the status quo, and Bernard is young and naïve. That said, the series to a large extent circles around the backroom deals and favor trading that keep the wheels of government turning.
** "Jobs For The Boys" circles around how retiring politicians and senior civil servants are given cushy, well-paid not-actually-jobs in various quangos ([=QUAsi-Non-Government-OrganisationS=], funded but not controlled by the Government) and how said jobs are distributed.
** Similarly, "Doing The Honours" revolves around how the Honours list (essentially the official list of recommendations for people who deserve knighthoods and similar honors) has become a way to pay off people who either donate significant sums of money to the party in government or know where the skeletons are buried, without having to actually pay them.
* ''Series/LawAndOrderOrganizedCrime'': US Representative Leon Kilbride, who's the mentor of a gang leader, completely aware of his dealings, and embezzles money through delaying construction purposefully when starting a project.
* ''Series/KamenRiderBuild'': Gentoku Himuro, the son and chief aid of Touto's Prime Minister, doubles as Night Rogue, leader of Faust, the resident NebulousEvilOrganisation of the setting. The Prime Ministers of Hokuto and Seito could also count as this, as both of them are after Pandora's Box solely to use its power for their own self interest.

* Being set in a small-town government, ''Series/ParksAndRecreation'' features a lot of these. Aside from [[ThePollyanna Leslie]] and [[OnlySaneMan Howser]], the town council features [[DepravedDentist Jeremy]] [[{{Jerkass}} Jamm]], [[KavorkaMan Bill Dexhart]], and [[RacistGrandpa Fielding]] [[SeniorSleepCycle Milton]]. And then there's the government of rival town Eagleton, which continued to [[ConspicuousConsumption spend money they didn't have]] [[MockMillionaire on stuff they didn't need]], resulting in the town being absorbed into Pawnee to prevent Eagleton's situation from dragging the rest of the region down with them.

* The song "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biGF7e-FALk Blood Red Dawn]]" by the PowerMetal group ''Music/{{Keldian}}'' is basically a giant TakeThat against corrupt politicians that are in the pockets of the wealthy and the upper class, referring to them as "snakes of the earth". It goes out of it's way to portray just how dangerous they can be when they control both wars and the populace to line their own pockets and destroying peoples liberties.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Podcasts]]
* In ''Podcast/WelcomeToNightVale'' the City Council is ironically made less threatening by being this. As an immortal HiveMind of [[HumanoidAbomination Humanoid Abominations]] who've ruled the town since its inception and supposedly will one day assume their true form and devour it, the fact they also waste millions on ill-conceived public works projects, charge exorbitant prices for the bloodstones they have a monopoly on, and deflect blame or skip town whenever things go wrong is what makes them comical.

* ''Theatre/BothYourHouses'': All of them except for Alan. Sol is the worst, stating without shame that he wants the fleet anchored where it will make him money. Sol later tells Alan that it was corrupt politicians and [[CorruptCorporateExecutive corrupt corporate executives]] who built the railroads and steel mills that drive the American economy.
--> '''Sol''': By God, if there's anything I hate more than store liquor, it's an honest politician.

* ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneySpiritOfJustice'' has the [[PunnyName punnily-named]] Paul Atishon, who [[SleazyPolitician campaigns all day and all night]] in a fancy [[TooImportantToWalk palanquin]] to be the assemblyman of Kurain Village. An utter {{slimeball}} with an [[SmallNameBigEgo enormous ego]], Atishon spends the entirety of Case 5 generally being an arrogant, insufferable {{Jerkass}} [[spoiler:and turns out to have [[TheDragon a campaign benefactor]] in [[HangingJudge Inga Karkhuul Khura'in]], who enlisted him to take back [[MacGuffin the Founder's Orb]] at all costs. To that end, Atishon [[MurderIsTheBestSolution kills]] archaeologist Archie Buff and then {{blackmail}}s [[CrusadingLawyer Phoenix Wright]] into defending him.]]

* In ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue'', [[spoiler:Malcolm Hargrove, Chairman of the UNSC Oversight Sub-Committee, is both this and a CorruptCorporateExecutive after the reveal that he's the one who called the hit on the planet Chorus]].
* ''WebAnimation/SocietyOfVirtue'' has [[MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate Doctor]] Evil Congressman.

* Kai and [[DelicateAndSickly Min-Min's]] father in ''Webcomic/{{Knite}}'' is one. In fact their father taking kickbacks and allowing pollution is the reason why the latter is [[LittlestCancerPatient ill]]. Unfortunately, going by what her brother says, [[YourDaysAreNumbered she might not last too long.]]

* ''Webcomic/{{Unsounded}}'': A common unifying theme is that those with power over other people will ''never'' treat the common man as their equals - and those that mix their political power with their faith in the unknowable should ''never'' be trusted.

** And then there's ''Alderode''. Religion rules the country, caste systems are biologically enforced to enforce disposable soldiers and workers, and the threat of a religious upheaval causes one politician to consider mass-genocide to 'even the scales'.

[[folder:Web Original]]
* Being the satirical political blog that it is, ''[[Blog/ElChiguireBipolar El Chigüire Bipolar]]'' will feature loads and loads of these, but for an example that stands out, the article [[http://www.elchiguirebipolar.net/05-06-2013/caldera-demuestra-con-grabacion-que-todos-son-igual-de-corruptos/ Caldera demonstrates with recording that everybody is just as corrupt]].
* ''Literature/TheRuinsOfAnAmericanPartySystem'' has Huey Long. Using his role as Attorney General and the guise of friendship, he becomes TheManBehindTheMan to President Floyd Olson. From this position of power, he's able to essentially build his own empire within the federal government, gaining leverage over numerous politicians with a vast amount of {{blackmail}}, forging alliances with the mob, and assassinating anyone who gets in his way. [[spoiler: He's eventually exposed and indicted for his crimes, and commits suicide rather than face the courts.]]
* ''[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/triumphant-a-davy-crockett-presidency.475060/ Triumphant: A Davy Crockett Presidency]]'' has plenty of the usual examples of 19th century American political corruption, but there's an exceptional case in Daniel Sickles, who [[FalseFlagOperation stages]] an AssassinationAttempt on himself so that the sympathy will help him win the 1888 presidential election. Once in office, he then allows corruption to ran rampant so long as he can personally profit from it, and rigs numerous state-level elections so that he can pack key offices with his allies. And when he loses the 1892 election to Labor Party candidate Walter Earp (the alternate version of Wyatt Earp), he declares the election invalid and uses his allies in the military to try and either arrest or kill Earp and the rest of the Labor leadership [[spoiler: though he ultimately fails and is executed for treason]].

* ''Series/TheCallOfWarr'': Killsin is a civic administrator who started taking bribes to make specific rulings. He got away with it for a while, and gloated about how he used to have an office, authority, and women...but eventually, he got caught, and was nearly put in chains for it

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Arcane}}'': The entire Piltover City Council, besides [[ScienceHero Heimerdinger]] who seems blissfully ignorant, is guilty of skirting the laws and backroom deals. [[spoiler: Even Jayce is convinced to go along with it as the price of power by Mel.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Bandolero|Animation}}'' has Governor Campomayor. It's implied in some chapters that he become one thanks to Don Rodrigo's influence. [[spoiler: Fortunately for the townspeople, at the end of the series he becomes nicer and sees the error in his ways]]

** When Quimby is unseated by Sideshow Bob in "Sideshow Bob Roberts" in a rigged election, Bob turns out to be even worse.
** There is also Congressman Bob Arnold in ''Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington''. He takes a bribe to demolish the very forest that inspired Lisa's patriotic essay and was even willing to allow Mt. Rushmore to be fracked.

** ''Homer'', of all people, became a clear example of this Trope in "Trash of the Titans", using underhanded tactics and BlatantLies to win the election for City Sanitation Commissioner (unseating one of the few competent people in Springfield, to make it worse) and then causing a disaster that required the whole town to be moved. (Of course, you might partially blame everyone who was stupid enough to believe his "crazy promises", which is what the previous commissioner does).

* Mayor Adam West from WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy has no problems making deals with big polluters, wasting taxpayer money on solid gold statues of Dig 'Em the Honey Smacks Frog, or killing anyone who questions his methods. Of course, in his case, he's not so much greedy as ''violently insane''.

* Senator Safety from the ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'' episode "Operation: SAFETY" is a parody of [[ComicBook/XMen Senator Kelly]]. Less "corrupt" and more a WellIntentionedExtremist, he tries to propose several absurd laws with child safety in mind until the Senate funds one of his projects just to get him to shut up. Unfortunately, the project (which involved Safety Bots, which parody the Sentinels) [[AIIsACrapshoot endanger the safety of children]] -- and adults -- more than they help it.
* ''WesternAnimation/LucyTheDaughterOfTheDevil'': Senator Whitehead made a literal deal with the Devil for political power, promising to run as the first openly satanic presidential candidate and ushering in the Apocalypse via Lucy. As it turns out while he does plan to marry Lucy, he has no intention of running as the Satanic Candidate, often putting off Satan when he asks about it. This comes back to bite him in the butt as the Devil frequently exacts spiteful vengeance against the Senator, though he refrains from torpedoing his career.
* The Mayor of New York in [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003 the 2003 version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]] is being given campaign money by the Foot so he’ll look the other way on their criminal activities (and prop the Shredder up as a [[VillainWithGoodPublicity philanthropist]]).

Related to the Corrupt Politician is the SleazyPolitician, who isn't necessarily criminal, but still oozes distastefully low morals. See also the AmoralAttorney--in an American context, at least, these will frequently overlap, since many politicians are also lawyers by trade.