3. Rep. Raymond Lederer; Bribery
Lederer was one of seven congressmen convicted for accepting bribes in the infamous 1979 “Abscam” FBI sting in which fake Arab “sheiks” offered cash to 31 House members in exchange for favors. The sting became the focal point in the plot of the movie American Hustle in 2013.
Congressman Lederer was videotaped in a New York hotel room accepting $50,000 from FBI agents posing as a sheik’s representatives. He told the agents “I can give you me” in exchange for the cash.
Despite being implicated in the scandal, Lederer was re-elected in 1980. He was later convicted of bribery and received a three-year prison sentence and a $20,000 fine.
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