BRISPEC sting operation

Last updated

The Bribery and Special Interest (BRISPEC) sting operation was a sting operation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation that investigated corruption in the California State Legislature from 1986 to 1988. The operation, later known as Shrimpscam in the press, involved setting up dummy companies by the FBI. The FBI set up a West Sacramento-based shrimp processing company. Then the fake companies lobbied for special-interest legislative bills favoring themselves. In addition, money was offered to legislators to see if any of them could be bribed in return for their support. [1] A couple of the bills were actually passed by both the Assembly and Senate, but were vetoed by Governor George Deukmejian, who was tipped off in advance.

Pardon of Patrick Nolan by President Donald Trump. Pardon of Patrick Nolan by President Donald Trump.pdf
Pardon of Patrick Nolan by President Donald Trump.

The operation resulted in the conviction and imprisonment of 12 public officials, among them were five state elected officials, including Board of Equalization Member Paul B. Carpenter (D), State Senators Joseph B. Montoya (D), Alan Robbins (D), and Frank C. Hill (R), and Assemblyman Pat Nolan (R). In addition, Coastal Commissioner Mark L. Nathanson, insurance lobbyist Clayton R. Jackson and several legislative aides were also convicted in connection with the operation. [2]

Speaker Willie Brown (D) and Assemblymember Gwen Moore (D) were also targeted by the operation, but emerged unscathed. Brown had a $1,000 campaign contribution shoved under his door returned to the donor. As a former member of the National Guard, this has led to accusations over the years that Brown was a federal informant and used his influence with the FBI to target his political opponents with process crime entrapment. [3] Moore's office was raided as part of the sting operation, but she was eventually acquitted of any wrongdoing.

Nolan was eventually pardoned by President Donald Trump on May 15, 2019. [4]

Related Research Articles

The government of California is the governmental structure of the U.S. state of California as established by the California Constitution. California uses the separation of powers system to structure its government. It is composed of three branches: the executive, consisting of the governor of California and the other constitutionally elected and appointed officers and offices; the legislative, consisting of the California State Legislature, which includes the Assembly and the Senate; and the judicial, consisting of the Supreme Court of California and lower courts. There is also local government, consisting of counties, cities, special districts, and school districts, as well as government entities and offices that operate independently on a constitutional, statutory, or common law basis. The state also allows direct participation of the electorate by initiative, referendum, recall and ratification.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willie Brown (politician)</span> American politician (born 1934)

Willie Lewis Brown Jr. is an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as mayor of San Francisco from 1996 to 2004, the first African American to hold that office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pat Nolan</span> American lawyer, politician and activist (b. 1950)

Patrick James Nolan is an American lawyer, politician and conservative activist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Lockyer</span> American politician

William Westwood Lockyer is a retired American politician from California, who held elective office from 1973 to 2015, as State Treasurer of California, California Attorney General, and President Pro Tempore of the California State Senate.

The Jungles faction of the Black P. Stones street gang is a "set" of the Bloods gang alliance in Los Angeles. Originating in Los Angeles' Baldwin Village neighborhood in the 1960s, the Black P. Stones became one of the largest gangs in the city. The gang has been linked to various crimes, including murders, assaults, robberies, narcotics violations and firearms violations, and has been the subject of numerous FBI and LAPD investigations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ted Lieu</span> American politician (born 1969)

Ted W. Lieu is an American lawyer and politician who has represented California's 36th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives since 2023. He represented the 33rd congressional district from 2015 to 2023. The district includes South Bay and Westside regions of Los Angeles, as well as Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, the Palos Verdes Peninsula, and Beach Cities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ron Calderon</span> American politician

Ronald Steven Calderon is a former Democratic California State Senator from the 30th Senate District. Calderon is also known for receiving bribes from Michael Drobot.

Public Enemy No. 1, also known as PENI Death Squad, is a prison and street gang formed in Long Beach, California and now based in Orange County, California. In 2004, the California Department of Justice described PEN1 as "one of the most powerful and fastest-growing gangs inside and outside prison", and reported it had about 200 members statewide. The gang's main activities include identity theft, credit card fraud, and methamphetamine sales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terrorism in the United States</span>

In the United States, a common definition of terrorism is the systematic or threatened use of violence in order to create a general climate of fear to intimidate a population or government and thereby effect political, religious, or ideological change. This article serves as a list and a compilation of acts of terrorism, attempts to commit acts of terrorism, and other such items which pertain to terrorist activities which are engaged in by non-state actors or spies who are acting in the interests of state actors or persons who are acting without the approval of foreign governments within the domestic borders of the United States.

Crime in California refers to crime occurring within the U.S. state of California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SK Foods</span> California-based agribusiness company

SK Foods L.P. was a California-based agribusiness company, with two packing and processing plants in Williams, California, and Lemoore, California, respectively. It was a major tomato processor. SK Foods, Ingomar Packing Co. and Los Gatos Tomato products formed the California Tomato Export Group, (CTEG), which collectively produced over half of the U.S. supply of tomato products at the time of the group's formation in 2005. The company's Williams plant has employed hundreds of people each summer to can and process tomatoes during harvest season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shannon Grove</span> American politician from California

Shannon Lee Grove is an American politician, who represents California's 12th State Senatorial district, encompassing the southern Central Valley and parts of the High Desert. A Republican, she served as the minority leader of the California State Senate from 2019 to 2021.

John Barry Mockler was Secretary of Education in California and former Executive Director of the California State Board of Education. Mockler was the chief architect of California Proposition 98 (1988).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan Robbins</span> American politician

Alan Robbins is a former American politician in the state of California. Robbins is most noted for his arrest and conviction on racketeering charges and serving five years in a federal prison.

Frank C. Hill III is a former American politician from California and a member of the Republican party. He was convicted of corruption in 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul B. Carpenter</span> American politician (1928–2002)

Paul Bruce Carpenter was an American psychologist and politician.

August Alan Post worked for 28 years (1949–1977) as California's legislative analyst.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph B. Montoya</span> American politician

Joseph Bernardino Montoya Jr. was an American politician who served in the California State Legislature from 1973 to 1990. He served in the State Assembly from 1973 to 1978 from 50th and 60th districts, and in the California State Senate from the 26th district from 1978 until his resignation in 1990. Prior to that, he was a member of the La Puente City Council and served as Mayor of La Puente.

References

  1. Paddock, Richard C.; Ostrow, Ronald J. "FBI Abscam Veterans Took Part in Capitol Sting Called 'Brispec'". Los Angeles Times. No. 15 September 1988. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
  2. Gladstone, Mark; Jacobs, Paul. "The G-Man, the Shrimp Scam and Sacramento's Big Sting : FBI agent James Wedick's undercover operation netted 14 public officials. But has it changed the way the state legislature works?". Los Angeles Times. No. 11 December 1994. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  3. Reilley, Janet (April 2020). "Willie Brown Uncensored". Nob Hill Gazette. p. 30.
  4. Mai-Duc, Christine (2019-05-15). "Trump pardons Pat Nolan, former GOP lawmaker taken down in FBI's 'Shrimpscam' probe". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2019-05-16.