Paul Taylor Powell (January 21, 1902 – October 10, 1970) was an American Democratic politician from Illinois, and Illinois Secretary of State from 1965 until his death in 1970, after which he was discovered to have been corrupt and became known for his saying "There's only one thing worse than a defeated politician, and that's a broke one.

The following year, he was investigated by a grand jury for pushing legislation favorable to a horse racing company that he obtained stock in, but nothing came of it.

Unsuspecting Illinois residents thought they were writing personal checks for license plate registration.

[5] Powell died on October 10, 1970, in Rochester, Minnesota, as an outpatient of the Mayo Clinic.

[6] A federal investigation determined that Powell had acquired much of his wealth through illegal cash bribes, which he received for giving noncompetitive state contracts to political associates.