Crédit Mobilier

Crédit Mobilier was a fraudulent construction company in the 1860s involved in a major scandal during the U.S. late 19th century. It was formed by insiders to finance the building of the Union Pacific Railroad, and they used their positions to overcharge the government and private investors. The scandal revealed corruption among influential politicians who accepted bribes and stock in the company to overlook the fraud. Overall, it exposed issues of greed and unethical practices in the rapidly expanding railroad industry, shaking public trust in government and business at the time.