National historian/journalist Theodore White called West Virginia one of the most politically corrupt states, citing the 1960 Democratic primary, where John F. Kennedy used a mix of modern tactics and vote buying to beat Hubert Humphrey. Over the years, many West Virginia politicians have faced corruption charges, Governors W. W. Barron and Arch Moore, not to mention many other state and local officials, have served prison time for political corruption.

In 2018, the legislature impeached the entire West Virginia Supreme Court, and Chief Justice Allen Loughry—who had written a book about the state's long history of political corruption—was sent to jail.

Some argue that West Virginia isn’t more corrupt than other places and that corruption cases rarely lead to long prison sentences. Still, corruption has been a long-standing issue in the state, going back to the late 19th century, when politicians like Senators Henry Davis and Stephen B. Elkins used the powers of their offices for personal gain.