Tom Pendergast Inmate File: Parole Denial Press Release
Press release announcing that, after a hearing at the U.S. Penitentiary at Leavenworth and further consideration in Washington, D.C., the United States Board of Parole concluded that "parole issuance in the case of Thomas J. Pendergast would be unjustifiable and incompatible with the public interest," and thus is denied. The release also describes Pendergast's history as the boss of the Kansas City political machine, and describes Kansas City as "a haven of refuge and rendezvous for some of the most notorious criminals and underworld taurines in the land" under his rule. The release further adds that "the struggle for civic decency is still in Progress in Kansas City," and that returning Pendergast to public life would be an impediment to that effort. Pendergast was found guilty of income tax evasion in 1939 and sentenced to 15 months in the U.S. Penitentiary at Leavenworth.