◆ SpookStack

= ee we ee 2 teen 6 Ee pee amen Q we one FD-350 (Rev, 10-19-77) Vai (Mount Clipping in Space Below) Reacting “Rep. John Brademas- said “his, reaction was one of “shock and sad- ness.’": Sen. Robert Byrd -was “disappointed, discouraged and shocked.” Rep. Robert F. Drinan declared, “I’m sick.’’* . «The disappointing, digcouraging, shocking and sickening report was. i that eight. members of the U.S. ; Congress - --- plus a number.of local” . and State officials — had accepted bribes i in an FBI “sting” operation called Abscam:, - “Since word of the. two-year” in: vestigation leaked out a little’over atwo weeks ago, the reaction of most 4 : general lyinline with thatof thelaw- “makers quoted above. Some others, however, unfortunately cynical as may be giving the bribery report relatively little ‘attention. ‘So what?” they may be saying. been-that of some’ people who are putting as much onus on the FBI as ' ‘alleged, were happy to line their -,Pocketsiillegally inreturnfor favors -- *they’ agreed tograntin their Official ~ * capacities, MB The’ charge ‘being made against the FBI is that it trapped the mem-" bers of Congressinto: committing ily - legal acts. Entrapment =loring ¢ or _ enticing a person into committing a , * crime—is illegal, And. obviously no governmental agency should resort. “to it. If the FBI was guilty of using tainly will be revealed; the agency * itself has putits dealings withmem-* * bers of Congress on-film and tape, and presumably these pictures and public as part of any prosecutions. ~ Butitispremature tocriticize the _ Americans, we suspect, has been . to everything relating to:politics, — But the most curious reaction has . on «the congressmen who, it.is, ~ entrapment, that fact almost cer-.” recordings eventually will be made to Abscam FBI now; the full story of what hap- pened inthe cases of themembersof Congress has not been told-Further- ~ more, even if the agency did not meet the highest standards in its -« * probe, that does not mitigate the of- fense — from the moral and ethical “standpoints — of any congressman who violated his oath of office. ‘The best example of.a weird per- .. spective on Abscam perhaps is | found i in Henry Fairlie’s column in last Sunday's Washington” Post. “There is very little difference,” he wrote, “between a politician stuff- ing into his pockets a few ‘thousand dollar. bills from an imagined Arab and’ a. journalist stuffing into his bank account the many thousands of --dollars which he may accumulate fromactual corporations [in fees for speeches]."* That is a wild com- parison, since the politician’s act is a violation of law, while the jour- nalist’s i is completely legal, evenif, as Mr. Fairlie contends, there could _ beconflicts of interest in some such casés. The columnist also refers to +: “tthe American obsession with every -—‘small actof corruption’ .. 2.and to ,,-the “!sleaziness’”. in the democracy that “makes ‘ an opportunity for a ano “bribery tempting. -- - -If the reports that have leaked out -4 - sabout- Abscam are trué — that not only some members of Congress but saiso” ‘other -elected officials took bribes — then the. FBI operation has “ ‘served a valuablé purpose in expos- * Sigpeoplein publics office who ought : “not to bé there. The FBI should con- : tinue its - -undercover ,.‘sting”’ in- $ vestigations, not only to catch run- -“of:the-mill thiéves and robbers in wok “ fake’ fencing operations, but also to put the finger o on public officials and others, in lofty positions in society who. are engaged - in white-collar aa ‘erlmes: * mo pat shalt? Vy ae (indicate page, name of newspaper, city and state.) Page A-10 —TRichmond Times- Dispatch" Richmond, Va. Date: 2/20/80 Edition: Morning Title: ABSCAM ~ CU Cheracter: eo 87-15542-~“Bae Classification: Submitting Office: Richmone EARCHED, ERJALIZED, eatin, 7EBM4 - EBI-RTCHMON: Fst/DoJ