Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US) corrupt.

1888		Centralia (IL) Sentinel 28 July 5/3: The Canadian press has adopted the word ‘combine’ which was coined by a New York boodle alderman.
1890		Princeton Union (Minn.) 13 Nov. 1/5: Democrats and disgruntled Republicans [...] have been repeating the ‘boodle’ slanders against Gov. Merriam.
1911		Wash. Post 14 May 13/3: These two men do ten times as much business as did Jaehne, the boodle alderman, who in his day was the principal banker of the thieves.
1952		Lait & Mortimer USA Confidential 175: He aligned himself with the pink boodle wing of the Democratic party.