◆ SpookStack

need for asylum in the United States. Weinberg's description of Abscam accurately characterizes what happened: "We — put out the word that money was available, we had a honey — pot and the flies came.” Schwartz Trial Tr. 2.65 (Sept. 11, 1980). . Uncontroverted testimony established that no Y @ prospect was rejected or vetoed either by the agents. or by higher authorities in the justice department. No congres- sional defendant was forced to attend the videotaped meeting, and no congressman was contacted directly by any of the _ ( | undercover agents. Prior to the payoff meetings all contacts with the congressmen were through the middlemen, who apparent- ‘ily believed the sheik's offer, who claimed to have influence with the congressmen, and who claimed to be able to produce congressmen willing to take bribes. With the convicted congressmen, these claims proved accurate; with some other legislators, the middlemen did not live up to the abilities _ they had boasted of. In some-cases, as noted above, -after the legislator appeared, he réjected the offer of money. - With each defendant brought before the TV cameras, the criminal nature of the proposed deal was made clear. Each of the congressmen was a sophisticated politician who clearly was aware what was being requested of him and. what the money was being offered for. While Amoroso and Weinberg talked around the point somewhat and did not mention