There is a saying, “Great power brings great responsibility”. Although it seems quite simple, throughout history we have seen many administrators who fall short of this promise and use power for their own interests when they take over. Especially from the 1970s to the 2000s, as access to information became easier, such corruptions became more easily detectable.
But in the 70s in question, it was necessary to act smartly to expose these corruptions. The FBI did exactly that with the operation it launched in 1978. This operation against the congressmen, who gathered on the suspicions of the period, made them come to the arms of the FBI officers. Now let’s take a look at the operation codenamed Abscam.
Where does this Abscam come from?
Abscam is an abbreviation for Abdul Scam. The name Abdul comes from Abdul Enterprises, a rogue organization that FBI agents set up to run the operation. With the operation in question, the FBI managed to catch politicians who took bribes through a fake company based in Arabia. So, what happened in the operation of this operation that made people nervous?
I’m too old for these things:
The first thing the FBI did was recruit Melvin Weinberg. Weinberg was facing jail time at the time, and in exchange for his help, his prison sentence would turn into parole. After accepting this offer, Weinberg started a so-called Arabian-based fake company called Abdul Enterprises.
The sheikhs in this company were none other than FBI agents. Then, 1 million dollars was invested in the company and it was brought to the fore.
The fish comes to the hook:
After the company looked big enough, FBI officials, or rather Arab sheikhs, got information that if they invested a certain amount in the -fake- casinos to be built in New Jersey, the license issue would be settled. After that, the eyes were turned to politicians again.
One by one, license permission was requested from the congress members, who were unaware of anything. Angelo Errichetti, who we can describe as the first fish caught, was not a congressman, but he agreed to leave New Jersey’s Atlantic City region to Abdul Enterprises if sufficient payment was made. He was president of Camden, which was also in New Jersey at the time.
Seven birds with one stone:
- Angelo Errichetti
Of course, Errichetti was not alone while dreaming of swimming among the coins. He cracked the Abdul company, so to speak, in the ear of Senator Harrison Williams. In this way, he involved corrupt congressmen and a member of the Senate. Agreements were made at different venues with bribes ranging from $50,000 to $100,000.
Moreover, all of them were recorded via video. Secretly.
The issue did not end with the arrests, the people have question marks in their minds:
- US House of Representatives Michael Myers (second from left) holds an envelope containing $50,000 from FBI Agent Anthony Amoroso (left). Angelo Errichetti (second from right) and Weigner are also in the photo.
After the arrests were made, everyone involved in the incident received different punishments depending on their situation. In addition, the accuracy of the unannounced video recording and the mission initiated due to insecurity was widely debated among the public. In fact, a guide was prepared for the FBI to prevent such discussions for the secret missions to be carried out in the future.
In addition, discussions emerged that Weinberg, who was tried with 3 years in prison, directed the FBI and when the task was completed, he escaped his sentence and received 150 thousand dollars thanks to his cooperation.
What happened after it was all over?
The event, which was talked about a lot in the Senate, covered a large part of the agenda. At the end of the day, although the FBI was appreciated thanks to the corruption uncovered, it was emphasized that this was a very risky method.
For some, the operation was the FBI’s revenge for previous events, while for others it was the only thing that would work against the corrupt government of the time. You can see those who have different opinions on this subject according to their perspectives.
But in the end, it’s not hard to imagine that it feels like a cold shower to all politicians who have strayed from their path. If you want to know more about the event, you can check out the movie American Hustle based on it.
Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4
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