◆ SpookStack

ee tend cerns ane “gio lee toa CELT Nee ten - - ’ replies to criticism of Abscam by Sen. Alan PEE te nae oomeewass VHS Abscam purposel By RONALD J. OSTROW In ye jee and ROBERT L. JACKSON : Be ics message IS: Globe-Democrat-Los Angeles Times, on’t let anybody stop 7 . News Service © _ WASHINGTON — Breaking a long, self-* imposed silence, FBI Director William H. W ebster has strongly defended the FBI's controversial Abscam investigation and has made clear that he would use the same undercover tactics again, if necessary. With firmness and occasionally some heat, Webster said that ‘‘we will always follow our leads.”’ And he dismissed allegations that the investigation, which resulted in the conviction of seven congressmen on bribery and othicr charges,® somehow trapped innocent men. 4 During a 90-minute interview in his office. last week with two Los Angeles Times; reporters, the FBI chief and former federal. judge from St. Louis offered point-by-point.. guilty. that no one would stick around it except someone who wanted to deal with sleazy people,” hesaid. ; P Abscam did not set out to investigate members of Congress, but instead began as an attempt to catch art thieves. As the ‘ineniry developed, it moved into other areas and congressmen walked into the net. “We did not select any con, men,” Webster said..““They were self-selected. They found ‘their waytous.”~ — o< meetings between public officials and Cranston, D-Calif., and others. ‘2 undercover agents will learn the extent of In rapid-fire order, he said that: 3 the corruption. ...---° FF = POORAT - _, > The FBI uses “con men” and others aa/'lf you hear those tapes, you get some sleazy," FBI director says ~ _® Through letters, the public has let the :. FBI know that it wants the bureau to "" continue investigating corruption in high “places. “The message is: Don't let_anyboy > Anyone who listens to the FBI tapes of. ., trials, and as House and Senate committees * prepare for inquiries into the methods used . as axe. around the raikiands declared by Britain last Monday. idea of how blatantly corrupt those discussions were. There wasn’t anything coy about them.”" "ray, hes stop you,” Webster said.--~ ~~ In the Abscam case, which resulted in the convictions of Sen. Harrison A.. Williams Jr., D-N.J., who resigned March 11, six House members and 11 others, FBI agents posed as representatives of a fictitious Arab sheik who was willing to pay cash for legislative favors, including help in gaining permanent entry into the United States. Webster said he had been ‘“‘necessarily constrained” until now in discussing the extraordinary investigation. . But with the completion of virtually all in Abscam, he said he felt free to talk about how the bureau managed the investigation. =f rid m cam ne at tee perpen mere mee eee mines Ne aera ara RR I er ac aca apts ancat seat cca RMI nt IRAE Sa IN a al Dea aS dia a i eee ere, TENCE: " Ter Ee 8a RTE TERI a Br as FETT ETE ETON PTI RE PEL IES PE ROIS PTE a TPR etre ert ree,