Who accused more than 200 government officials of being Communists?

Joseph McCarthy, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, accused more than 200 government officials of being Communists during the early 1950s, a period known as the Red Scare. His unsubstantiated claims and aggressive tactics led to widespread fear and paranoia about Communist infiltration in the U.S. government. McCarthy's actions ultimately resulted in significant political fallout and his eventual censure by the Senate in 1954.