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Huey Long at the impeachment proceedings

Huey Long at the impeachment proceedings Courtesy of the State Library of Louisiana

In 1929, Standard Oil’s legislative allies led an unsuccessful attempt to remove Huey Long from the governorship on a variety of charges, ranging from serious to comical. He was impeached in the House but avoided conviction in the Senate.

Key Facts:

  • In 1929, Huey’s opponents, backed by Standard Oil, launched an impeachment attempt with questionable charges.
  • The Louisiana House impeached Huey, but he blocked conviction in the Senate with a signed opposition pledge.
  • After impeachment, Huey intensified his fight against opponents, creating The Louisiana Progress to counter newspaper attacks.
  • He faced death threats, a drive-by shooting, and arson attempts, leading him to employ armed bodyguards.

I was elected Railroad Commissioner of Louisiana in 1918, and they tried to impeach me in 1920. When they failed to impeach me in 1920, they indicted me in 1921. And when I wiggled through that, I managed to become governor in 1928, and they impeached me in 1929.

Huey Long

Historical Timeline

Jan 1929
Long calls for severance tax increase on oil companies to fund social programs and infrastructure; faces immediate backlash from Standard Oil and allied legislators
Apr 6, 1929
Anti-Long forces in the La. House of Representatives begin organizing formal impeachment efforts
Apr 16, 1929
Long formally impeached by the La. House on eight of 19 charges
May 13, 1929
Round Robin signed by 15 state senators (over one-third), pledging to vote against conviction
May 15-18, 1929
May 15-18: Senate trial of Huey Long collapses
1929
Post-impeachment: Long receives death threats; drive-by shooting and arson attempts at New Orleans home; begins using armed bodyguards
Mar 1930
Long founds newspaper, The Louisiana Progress, to counter mainstream press funded by his opponents

In order to finance his building and social programs, Huey called a special session of the legislature to enact a 5 cent-per-barrel tax on the production of refined oil. The bill was met with a storm of opposition from the state’s big oil interests, and opponents in the legislature moved to impeach Huey on charges ranging from misuse of state funds to using “abusive language.”

Huey on the speaking circuit

Huey on the speaking circuit ~ Courtesy of LSU Libraries Special Collections.

Huey responded with a statewide campaign to make his case that Standard Oil and his political opponents were conspiring to retake state government by lodging dubious charges against him. He asserted that legislators had been offered as much as $25,000 for their votes to remove him from office — or enough money "to burn a wet mule."

Of the original 19 charges, eight items were passed in the House. When the trial moved to the Senate, Huey produced a document called the "Round Robin" and signed by over one third of the senators, stating they would vote against impeachment because the trial was procedurally improper. With the two-thirds majority required to convict now impossible, Huey’s opponents halted the proceedings and never revived the charges.

After the impeachment, Huey became determined to fight fire with fire when dealing with his enemies. “I used to try to get things done by saying please,” he later told reporters. “Now I dynamite them out of my path.”

With the state’s major newspapers financed by his opposition, in 1930 Huey founded his own newspaper, The Louisiana Progress, which he used to make the case for his programs and publicize his achievements. After impeachment, Huey received death threats. His New Orleans home was the target of a drive-by shooting and several arson attempts. Fearing for his life and the safety of his family, he began surrounding himself with armed bodyguards.



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