ABSCAM was a controversial program of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that was designed to fight political corruption in the United States. During the investigation—which began in 1978 and ended in 1980—FBI agents posed as representatives of a rich Arab sheikh. They offered public officials bribes ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 in return for favors. Abscam took its name from the words Arab and scam (swindle).
The FBI offered the bribes from a number of locations, including a rented house in Washington, D.C., hotel rooms in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and a yacht in Florida. The agents used hidden cameras and special telephone listening devices to obtain evidence. The program led to the conviction of 12 public officials, including seven members of Congress. However, a federal judge overturned one of the convictions on the grounds that the government had used “outrageous” entrapment tactics in the investigation.
Critics of the Abscam investigation charged that its main aim was to encourage crime. Supporters argued that awareness of such a program would help keep public officials honest.
