Your friend doesn't know the first thing about American history. Jefferson definitely rigged the vote-counting when he beat Burr in 1800 and things got worse after that. Jackson was deprived of the Presidency in 1824 by thievery. Several 19th century Presidents were comnpletely corrupt...but the standards were different at the time; it was expected.
Huh? Burr was running for veep on the ticket with Jefferson. A defect in the Constitution, since corrected by amendment, resulted in both of them receiving an equal number of electoral votes and the election wound up in the House, where Jefferson was eventually elected.
As this was the exact intent of the voters, none of whom voted for Burr to be President, I fail to see why you consider Jefferson's election corrupt.