The Abscam was an FBI sting operation started in the late 1970s. The codename for the operation was a contraction of Arab scam, which was later revised to Abdul scam, following complaints from the American-Arab Relations Committee. But did you know what started this operation?
In 1980, the FBI set up a phony corporation and attempted to bribe members of Congress. Almost a quarter of those tested accepted the bribe and were convicted.
What was the Story Behind the Abscam Operation?
In 1980, the FBI set up a phony corporation and attempted to bribe members of Congress. Almost a quarter of those tested accepted the bribe and were convicted.
Abscam, an FBI operation based in Hauppauge, Long Island, targeted underworld figures involved in the trafficking of stolen art. The investigation’s success led agents to criminals dealing in bogus stocks and bonds. The FBI’s criminal contacts led them to politicians willing to accept bribes. Abscam was transformed into a political corruption investigation at this point.
The FBI used the phony company it had created, Abdul Enterprises, to entice public officials suspected of corruption to accept bribes. Undercover agents pretended to be representatives of an oil-rich Arab sheik. They showed up to meetings with suitcases full of cash to bribe congressmen and other public officials into granting the sheik asylum in the United States and granting their business an Atlantic City casino license, among other things. (Source: FBI History)
The Scandal, The Bribes, The Abscam
As one might expect, given Abscam’s unconventional methods, there was significant fallout for years after Abdul Enterprises shut down. The operation was scrutinized. Was Abscam entrapment? Or is it simply outrageous government misconduct, as one prosecutor put it. There were also claims of a lack of oversight over Weinberg’s work.
The con-man-for-hire held numerous meetings without the presence of his federal babysitters, and the operation netted Weinberg a tidy sum. The FBI paid him around $150,000 for his efforts. Undocumented time spent with members of Congress raised the possibility that Weinberg accepted illegal bribes.
Melvin Weinberg’s wife Marie’s comments to 20/20 in February 1982 sparked controversy. While working for the FBI, the bereaved woman accused her husband of perjury, illegal gift-taking and kickbacks. (Source: FBI History)
The Staging of the Abscam Operation
Melvin Weinberg, the real Irving Rosenfeld, was instrumental in staging the Abscam operation, much like Christian Bale’s character in American Hustle. He assisted the FBI in identifying potential targets and contacted several people to inform them that his principals, in this case, a fictitious Arab sheik, were looking to invest large sums of money in exchange for various political favors.
Mel Weinberg and his target, Mayor Angelo Errichetti, did develop a friendship on some levels, similar to what is seen in the film between Christian Bale and Jeremy Renner’s characters. Mel even took Mayor Errichetti home to meet his mother, Helen on one occasion.
One senator, six congressmen, and more than a dozen other criminals and corrupt officials were apprehended and convicted due to the two-year operation. Senator Harrison Pete Williams and six members of the House of Representatives are among them. Raymond Lederer, Michael Ozzie Myers, Frank Thompson, John M. Murphy, John Jenrette, and Richard Kelly are among the six.
Other convicted government officials include Camden, New Jersey Democratic Mayor Angelo Errichetti, several Philadelphia City Council members, and an Immigration and Naturalization Service inspector. (Source: FBI History)