Florida. The sheikh expressed an interest in invest-
ing in land and casinos in Atlantic City and in a
titanium mine in Virginia. After several more meet-
ings, the sheikh’s aides agreed to invest $100 million
in the titanium mine and to give Senator Williams
shares of the mine’s stock for free. In return, Wil-
liams said he would seek military contracts for the
mine.
Mayor Errichetti also introduced the undercover
FBI agents to Howard Criden, a Philadelphia lawyer.
Criden in turn introduced members of Congress to
Yassar Habib. Pennsylvania Democratic representa-
tives Raymond F. Lederer and Michael Myers and
New York Democratic representative John M.
Murphy were filmed accepting $50,000. In addition,
Florida Republican representative Richard Kelly was
filmed accepting money, and South Carolina Demo-
cratic representative John W. Jenrette, Jr., accepted
$50,000 through an intermediary. Criden also ac-
cepted $50,000 on behalf of New Jersey Democratic
representative Frank Thompson, Jr. Pennsylvania
Democratic representative John P. Murtha met with
the undercover agents but never
accepted any money and was not
charged with any crimes.
The FBI shut down the sting
operation on February 2, 1980, af-
ter the agency heard rumors that
news organizations were about to
break the story. The scam had
lasted for twenty-three months
and had involved approximately
one hundred agents. The scam
resulted in the convictions of Sen-
ator Williams and U.S. represen-
tatives Jenrette, Murphy, Kelly, Led-
erer, Myers, and Thompson on
various federal charges including
bribery and conspiracy. All were
sentenced to prison terms of one
to three years. Kelly’s sentence was
initially overturned on appeal on
the grounds of entrapment; how-
ever, it was reinstated by a higher
court. Most of those convicted re-
signed from office voluntarily, al-
though Myers was expelled by the
House and Williams did not resign
until the Senate was about to vote
on his expulsion. Williams was the
first U.S. senator to be imprisoned in eighty years,
and, had the expulsion vote been taken, he would
have been the first senator expelled from the Senate
since the Civil War. Mayor Errichetti was convicted of
bribery and conspiracy and was sentenced to six years
in prison; Louis Johanson, a member of the Philadel-
phia city council, was sentenced to three years in
prison, and Criden was sentenced to six years in
prison. Altogether, nineteen people were convicted
in the Abscam sting.Impact The Abscam sting operation revealed to
the American public that some of its highest elected
officials were corrupt. It further tarnished the im-
age of a federal government that was still suffering
from the Watergate controversy of the early 1970’s.
Abscam also raised questions about the methods
used by the FBI. Some people felt that the FBI had
entrapped the politicians by enticing them into
committing crimes they would not normally have
considered. Thus, while the scam was successful, it
was not without controversy.6 Abscam The Eighties in America
This videotape shows Congressman Michael Myers of Pennsylvania (second from left)
holding an envelope containing $50,000, which he has just accepted from undercover
FBI agent Anthony Amoroso (far left) as part of the Abscam sting operation.(AP/Wide
World Photos)