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Abscam—sometimes written ABSCAM—was a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) sting operation that took place in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The two-year investigation was directed from the FBI's office in Hauppauge, New York, and was under the supervision of Assistant Director Neil J. Welch, who headed the bureau's New York division, and Thomas P. Puccio, head of the Justice Department's Organized Crime Strike Force for the Eastern District of New York. The operation initially targeted trafficking in stolen property and corruption of prestigious businessmen, but was later converted to a public corruption investigation. The FBI, aided by the Justice Department and a convicted con-man, videotaped politicians accepting bribes from a fraudulent Arabian company in return for various political favors.〔Salinger, Lawrence M. Encyclopedia of White-collar & Corporate Crime. (Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications), 2005. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost (accessed February 19, 2014).〕 More than 30 political figures were investigated and among those a total of seven Congressmen — six members of the United States House of Representatives and one United States Senator — were convicted.〔Jensen, Eric L., and Jurg Gerber. 2007. Encyclopedia of White-collar Crime. (Westport. Conn: Greenwood Press), 2007. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost (accessed February 19, 2014).〕 Not only were there members of Congress, but also one member of the New Jersey State Senate, members of the Philadelphia City Council, the Mayor of Camden, New Jersey, and an inspector for the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service. "Abscam" was the FBI codename for the operation. When law enforcement authorities announced the operation, they said that "Abscam" was a contraction of "Arab scam". After complaints from the American-Arab Relations Committee, officials said it was a contraction of "Abdul scam" after the name of its fictitious front company. ==Operation== In March 1978, the FBI created a sting operation called Abscam, initially to investigate theft, forgery and stolen art.〔 The FBI employed Melvin Weinberg, a convicted swindler, international con artist and informant, and his girlfriend Evelyn Knight, to help plan and conduct the operation. They were facing a prison sentence at the time and in exchange for their help, the FBI agreed to let them out on probation.〔 Weinberg, supervised by the FBI, created a fake company called Abdul Enterprises in which FBI employees posed as fictional Arab sheikhs led by owners Kambir Abdul Rahman and Yassir Habib, who had millions of dollars to invest in the United States. Weinberg instructed the FBI to fund a $1 million-account with the Chase Manhattan Bank in the name of the fictional company, Abdul Enterprises, giving the company the credibility it needed to further its operation.〔 When a forger who was under investigation suggested to the sheikhs that they invest in casinos in New Jersey and that licensing could be obtained for a price, the Abscam operation was retargeted toward political corruption. Each congressman who was approached would be given a large sum of money in exchange for "private immigration bills" to allow foreigners associated with Abdul Enterprises into the country and for building permits and licenses for casinos in Atlantic City, among other investment arrangements.〔Tolchin, Martin, and Susan J. Tolchin. Glass Houses. Boulder: Westview Press, 2001.〕 Among the casino projects involved were the Ritz-Carlton Atlantic City,〔Tale of Atlantic City Hotel That Tried to be a Casino by Donald Janson New York Times May 31, 1981 ()〕 the Dunes Hotel and Casino (Atlantic City),〔(The Sting Man: Inside Abscam By Robert W. Greene ISBN 9780525209850 )〕 the Penthouse Boardwalk Hotel and Casino, and the sheikh's fictional casino.〔'Abscam' fallout: Atlantic City casinos By Ward Morehouse III, The Christian Science Monitor February 6, 1980 ()〕 The first political figure ensnared in the phony investment scheme was Camden mayor Angelo Errichetti. In exchange for monetary kickbacks, Errichetti told the sheikhs' representatives "I'll give you Atlantic City." Errichetti helped to recruit several government officials and United States congressmen who were willing to grant political favors in exchange for monetary bribes (originally $100,000 but then reduced to $50,000).〔 The FBI recorded each of the money exchanges and, for the first time in American history, surreptitiously videotaped government officials accepting bribes.〔 The meeting places included a townhouse in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, DC, which was owned by Lee Lescaze, a yacht in Florida, and hotel rooms in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Each convicted politician was given a separate trial. During these trials, much controversy arose regarding the ethics of Operation Abscam. Many lawyers defending their guilty clients accused the FBI of entrapment. Every judge overruled this claim and each politician was convicted.〔Federal Bureau of Investigation, "A Byte Out of History: Remembering the Lessons of ABSCAM." Last modified 02 07, 05. Accessed February 19, 2014.()〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Abscam」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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