Spark Post 7: In 1980 the FBI formed a fake company and attempted to bribe members of congress. Guess how many % accepted the bribe and got convicted?

The FBI's Undercover Sting That Shocked the Nation

TLDR: Almost 25% of those politicians accepted the bribe, and were convicted.

In the late 1970s, the FBI launched a daring undercover operation that would go down in history as one of the most significant corruption investigations ever conducted. The operation, codenamed "Abscam," targeted politicians who were willing to accept bribes in exchange for political favors.

The Setup

The FBI created a fake company called Abdul Enterprises, complete with a $1 million bank account and undercover agents posing as wealthy Arab sheikhs. The goal was to see if politicians would accept bribes from these "sheikhs" in return for various political favors, such as helping to obtain licenses for casinos in Atlantic City.

The Sting

The first politician to take the bait was the mayor of Camden, New Jersey, who promised to deliver Atlantic City to the sheikhs in exchange for kickbacks. He then helped recruit other government officials and members of Congress who were willing to participate in the scheme.

Over the course of the investigation, the FBI videotaped politicians accepting briefcases full of cash in hotel rooms, on yachts, and even in a townhouse in Washington, D.C. The evidence was damning, and the fallout was swift.

The Fallout

When the dust settled, more than 30 political figures had been investigated, and seven members of Congress were ultimately convicted of bribery and corruption charges. Other officials, including a New Jersey state senator, members of the Philadelphia City Council, and the mayor of Camden, were also convicted.

The trials were not without controversy, however. Many of the defendants accused the FBI of entrapment, arguing that they had been unfairly targeted and coerced into accepting the bribes. But in the end, the courts upheld the convictions, and the politicians were held accountable for their actions.

The Legacy

Abscam remains one of the most significant corruption investigations in American history, and it had a lasting impact on the political landscape. It exposed the seedy underbelly of American politics and showed that even elected officials were not above the law.

But perhaps most importantly, it demonstrated the power of undercover investigations to root out corruption and hold those in power accountable. It was a wake-up call for politicians and a reminder that the public trust is not something to be taken lightly.

Stay curious,

Jack