Final answer:
The name of the scandal during President Harding's administration that involved corrupt oil land leases is the Teapot Dome Scandal. It entailed significant government corruption where Secretary of the Interior Albert Fall was convicted for accepting bribes and was fined and imprisoned. The correct answer is a- The Teapot Dome.
Step-by-step explanation:
The scandal during the Harding presidency that involved selling oil-rich lands to private oil companies is named the Teapot Dome Scandal.
This event erupted when Albert Fall, the Secretary of the Interior, was found to have accepted bribes in exchange for permitting private oil companies to drill on public land reserved for the United States Navy in case of an emergency.
The Teapot Dome reserve in Wyoming was meant to be an undeveloped oil resource for the military to ensure the U.S. would not be dependent on foreign oil during wartime.
The public was outraged when it was revealed that Fall had received around $400,000 in bribes, leading to a significant scandal synonymous with governmental corruption.
Ultimately, Albert Fall was convicted, fined $100,000, and sentenced to one year in prison, marking him as the first cabinet official to serve a prison sentence for such offenses.
Therefore, the correct answer is a- The Teapot Dome