◆ SpookStack

os wennnern sere 4 ae i! ‘ * sya & “Washington Star Staff Weiter Ethics. committees 'in-both houses of Congreés ‘today pledged investiga: | ‘tions of reports that.seven House ! members’and a senator were snared in.an: FBI “Sting” operation, while ‘congresional leaders voiced their | * 'Shockvand ‘expressed fear for the , --Image’of Congress, ~The House ethics committee was | called into a emergency session to consider the, new. allegations, while | the’chairman of the Senate ethics ; ane committee annotinced his intention to investigate the matter, . The House ethics chairman, Rep. Charles E.. Bennett, D-Fla., said the panel has “for Several months” been investigating allegations about deals to help aliens gain residence in the ‘United States. . He said those allegations involved Several congressmen whase names now have come up in the FBI investi. gation revealed in newspapers over the weekend. | Bennett.said his-committee would widen its, probe, begun as a spinoff of the committee's investigation of alleged illegal payoffs by South Korea to congressmen, At a news conference this morn: | ing, House Speaker Thomas P, 0°. Neill said that he expected the ethics committee investigation to move swiftly and that he would not inter. fere with it. ‘O'Neill’ conceded that the pub- -licity- so far.creates a hew-public relations ‘problem, for the House. “Thelinstitution.has been hurt by it, Naturally I feel hurt,”-he said, Sen. Howell Héflin; D-Ala, chair. man of the Senate ethics committee, Said his panel will condtict “a thor. . ough .investigation of all allega- ; Afons” against“any senators snared im the FBI's undercover political cor- | Fuption investigation. * ot Senate’ Majority Leader Robert ~#Byrd:'D-W.Vaz asked how the Scan- dal: would affect the public’s image Of Congress;:said: “It doesn't do it Pad any, good: I'm very disappointed — ‘Hkewise — discouraged, shocked,” phe: Justice: Department, mean- .lm sure.other members of Congress ag FRG pte ( ill Leaders ; Mouse Ethics Pan ; “ res < - . ae wet. EO % cpl. ice Shock; 10.LOok at “Stir . ? . a 1 y ‘ ~ Continued From A- investigation” will be conducted ‘to | find the Source of leaks that appar- ently forced the FBI to cut short the investigation. . , Robert M. Smith, a Special assist- ant to Attorney General Benjamin R. Civiletti, said the probe will be aimed at finding out “whether deliberate disclosures have been made by federal employees” about the existence of the undercover operation, which involved national’ and local:politicians and business. men here and in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Florida, The investigation of the leaks to reporters and perhaps to others was triggered by news reports yesterday atid Jate Saturday about’ the FBI undercover operation, code-named Abscam. The name stands for Arab Scam, an operation in which agents posing as Arab sheiks are said to have paid bribes totaling $500,000 to $700,000 to various officials, After the revelation of the Abscam Operation yesterday, one law en- forcement source said it is possible a jeak — not to a newsman — caused Some of those under surveillance to become suspicious. . Assistant Attorney General Philip B. Heymann, head of the Justice De- partment’s criminal division, de- clined to comment about the reasons or the termination of the FBI opera- tion, “While specifically denying that any of the members of Congress. were found to have ties to organized ‘ erime, several sources said that dis- closure of the operation threatened the safety of the undercover agents and informants. The news stories also are certain to fuel allegations that the govern- } ment engaged in improper conduct, possibly prejudicing future court cases, according to attorneys likely to be involved in defending con- gressmen, “The Department of Justice will have no comment at all about Specific investigations of political corruption or white-collar crime,” Smith said today, “The discldsures made by the media are regrettable because they may injury the reputa. tions of innocent people.” “In light of the nature and extent of the purported disclosures, the Jus- While, announced an “intensive | tice Department's office of profes- cts eee rer sional d See HOUSE, | criminal division will initiate an ‘ intensive responsibility and the whether deliberaté disclostrés haye been made by fedéral employees, “stay: in the United Statés in returiz, “are said to have met in various:léca:s ‘high Justice Department ‘officials et Bee E z + ‘Be. . ° owe Bag Sa: 6 Tate sie lalms'} - 7 7 tater aate Soe mgs oy HD . {he undercover ‘operation. had-> n under way since, mid-19) Bist evdived from an investigation'by the - Brooklyn unit of the Justice’ Depart- ment’s Organized; Crime Task Force: of organized crime involvement in’ the sale of stolen securities and art: Sources said an informant then, led: investigators to intermediaties‘who said they knew some politicians who were willing to help illegal-aliéns | for payoffs, we ote so The leading actor in the: FBI operation was an. agent: posing: as’, Sheik Kambir Abdul:Rahman, who ' claimed to be a 40-year-old-Léebanése in-control of millions of dollars-in.. oil transportation money:from: thes United Arab Emirates and -else-, where. _ That agent met many of those who: were allegedly videotaped discuss: ing or accepting bribes of as much‘as, $50,000. Other agents, also posing:as- sheiks working for Rahman's company, Abdul Enterprises: Ltd‘; tions with some of the 30-persons: Said to be under investigation. -\" ‘t Among those named as having been targets of the FBI investigation‘ are: "ee * Senate Labor Committee Chair man Harrison A. Williams Jr,, D-N.J; * House Merchant Mariné and Fish: eries Committee Chairman John’ M: Murphy, D-N.Y. tea © House Administration Committeée™ Chairman Frank Thompson Jr;, D-- NJ. , ° House ethics committee mémber' John P. Murtha Jr, D-Pa. 7 © Reps. Michael (Ozzie) Myers and. Raymond F, Lederer, both Pénnsyl. vania Democrats. ‘ © Rep. John W. Jenrette Jr, DSC, and Rep. Richard Kelly, R-Fla, _ Government sources stressed that FBI Director William E. Webster and | had constantly reviewed the FBI operation to make cértain that:con- gressmen-and others were not being “entrapped” into committing illegal acts. : Government sources also said that with an operation involving as many: law enforcement personnel and poli- | ticians as this one; it may-have been | impossible for the government to complete the invéstigation before newsofitwasleaked Some, reporters and middleleve) government officials not diréctly in- volved in tie case Had known about investigation to: see—~sit for‘severaleweeksibefore the stor broke on the news wires and fhe nex” works Saturday. ao me Seer eete tte Be EENNRE Rm tee cgetieens