2. Silas Deane may have stolen money from the Continental Congress
Silas Deane is one of the lesser-known Founders, though his service to the Revolutionary cause was substantial. Deane actively recruited foreign officers to the Patriot’s cause, among them the Marquis de Lafayette and Baron von Steuben. He supported and helped fund the firm Hortalez et Cie, a front which helped supply the Continental Army. The latter entity provided supplies and weapons before the French government agreed to overt support the Revolution. During his time in France Deane antagonized other American diplomats and French officials, among them Arthur Lee. Lee wrote allies in the Continental Congress, accusing Deane of malfeasance and worse, and Deane found himself recalled. He was not informed of the reasons for his recall until he appeared before Congress, and could not adequately defend himself, having left his records and account books in Paris.
Without a suitable defense, Deane chose to attack his accusers, taking on the powerful Lee family in the process. Both parties chose to present their views publicly, publishing accusations and defense in newspapers. Deane returned to Paris in 1780 to obtain the documents needed for his defense. In 1781 letters purportedly written by Deane appeared in Loyalist newspapers, describing the Patriot’s position as militarily hopeless. Deane found the accusations of treason added to those of malfeasance. His reputation never recovered. He remained in France for a time before moving to Ghent, and later to London. He died under somewhat mysterious conditions in 1789, having never fully cleared his name of either charge. His role and his loyalties remain a subject of debate among historians, though most consider him a Patriot who sacrificed his fortune and personal reputation for the cause.