AMERICAN HUSTLE

American Hustle is the name of a 2013 dark-comedy crime film. The story was based on the real events of ABSCAM, an FBI sting operation at the end of the 1970s. That investigation led to the corruption and bribery convictions of seven members from both houses of the U.S. Congress and five local politicians.

We will likely never see such an operation in the future. At the time, the thin tightrope between entrapment and exposing existing corruption was part of the defense strategy. That ethical dilemma was studied after ABSCAM to address whether the sting uncovered corruption or actively manufactured it. All entrapment issues were dismissed by the courts and the convictions were upheld.

ABSCAM used a real swindler and international conman, Mel Weinberg, who used a fictional Arabian company called Abdul Enterprises, to offer bribes to politicians for immigration favors, building permits, and licenses for casinos in Atlantic City. For the first time in history, the FBI used videotapes of the bribe transactions. Both the FBI and the Justice Department cooperated in ABSCAM.

I said earlier that we will probably never see such a successful prosecution of political corruption again. This is not because it isn’t still going on, but that it has now been legitimized so much that even the president of the United States can flaunt his corruption. What used to be considered illegal is now SOP for many. As a politician, you can receive a “campaign donation” of almost unlimited size and then openly do favors for the donor. Politicians can make financial investments in businesses over which they have legislative influence without concern for prosecution.

All of what I said about being exempt from prosecution in the preceding paragraph assumes you are in the good political graces of our authoritarian leader. He controls both the FBI and the DOJ, both of whom were pivotal in the ABSCAM cases. If you raise the ire of the president, you can count on at least being charged with such crimes even if you are innocent. I will point out in passing that of the twelve convictions from ABSCAM in the 80s, all but one was a Democrat. The lone Republican was Richard Kelly of Florida. There was also one INS inspector of unknown party affiliation.

So, the American Hustle continues, only this time it is the American public being hustled. The FBI and the DOJ have been usurped. Stay on the president’s good side and he will have your back. He seems to have a special affinity for those convicted of fraud or tax evasion, perhaps because he understands those “crimes” so well.