NCJ Number
130005
Journal
State Legislatures Volume: 17 Issue: 4 Dated: (April 1991) Pages: 12-15,17-18
Date Published
1991
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Sting operations conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Federal prosecutors have revealed political corruption in several State legislatures and have also raised ethical and constitutional questions regarding entrapment and the encroachment of Federal officials into the authority of States to police themselves.
Abstract
Federal law enforcement efforts have been directed against legislators in Alabama, Arizona, California, Illinois, Missouri, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia. The increasing number of Federal indictments has intensified debates regarding the appropriateness of this kind of Federal involvement in State affairs, has resulted in public views that all legislators may be susceptible to bribes, and has lowered the morale of many legislators. Case examples and detailed description of law enforcement efforts and their impacts in Arizona