John Murtha, Stung (Time Warp Edition)
Posted on | November 15, 2006
In 1980, Congressman John Murtha (D-PA) met with gentlemen purporting to represent a sheik named Abdul, and asked them for back-door money in exchange for legislative favors (a grant of asylum to the fictitious and eponymous sheik Abdul). He was later to discover that he met FBI agents, and that their successful pseudo-bribery attempt had been videotaped as part of what came to be known as ABSCAM.
Murtha has remained unapologetic in the quarter-century since, claiming innocence: “I met with two men who I believed had a substantial line of credit that could provide up to 1,000 jobs for the district. I broke no law. I took no money.” In exchange for Murtha’s testimony against Rep. Frank Thompson (later convicted), and after some arm-twisting by House Speaker Tip O’Neill, Murtha was never even officially investigated.
Today, Congressman Murtha is supported by incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for the post of House Majority Leader.
Comments
Leave a Reply
