Government Agencies
When the 18th Amendment was ratified it did not set up a clear method of enforcement. It simply stated that the states and Congress would share in the enforcement of the legislation. A Bureau of Prohibition under the Bureau of Internal Revenue was create by the Volstead Act, and the head of the department was Harry Daugherty. The bureau was not very well funded, and the hiring of agents to enforce the law was done to fill political favors. Harry quickly decided that he could make a good profit off of selling favors to bootleggers.
Mabel Walker Willebrandt - 1889 to 1963
Was appointed to the office of Assistant Attorney General in September, 1921. Part of her job was to enforce the Volstead Act and federal taxation. Mabel was appointed to her position at a fairly young age for a woman in the 1920's, she was just 32 years old. She was given the position for several reasons but the biggest reason was that no one else wanted the job. Although she had been against Prohibition originally, when she was appointed to this position she became a Teetotaler.
The first thing Mrs. Willebrandt did was to review the current policies and enforcement agencies to weed out corruption and bribery. She replaced most of the agents with 4,000 men she felt could not be bought. Once she had a staff she could trust she was able to shut down some of the largest bootlegging rings in the county.
She campaigned against Al Smith during the 1928 presidential election, timing several high-profile raids of speakeasies to correspond with the Democratic convention where Smith was nominated.
She campaigned against Al Smith during the 1928 presidential election, she would time high-profile raids of speakeasies to correspond with Democratic conventions where Smith was nominated.
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The first thing Mrs. Willebrandt did was to review the current policies and enforcement agencies to weed out corruption and bribery. She replaced most of the agents with 4,000 men she felt could not be bought. Once she had a staff she could trust she was able to shut down some of the largest bootlegging rings in the county.
She campaigned against Al Smith during the 1928 presidential election, timing several high-profile raids of speakeasies to correspond with the Democratic convention where Smith was nominated.
She campaigned against Al Smith during the 1928 presidential election, she would time high-profile raids of speakeasies to correspond with Democratic conventions where Smith was nominated.
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