Harrison A. Williams

Harrison Arlington Williams Jr. (10 December 1919 - 17 November 2001) was an American Democratic politician who represented New Jersey in the United States House of Representatives (1953 – 1957) and the United States Senate (1959 – 1982). Williams was convicted in 1981 for taking bribes in the ABSCAM sting operation, and resigned from the US Senate in 1982 before a planned expulsion vote.

ABSCAM scandal

In 1978, the sting operation ABSCAM was set up by the FBI to investigate forgery, stolen art and general theft. It centred around a fictional company called Abdul Industries that was created to investigate the target areas, which soon led to possible political corruption when a forger who was under investigation claimed that gambling licences could be obtained for a price. During the investigation, Williams was recorded accepting a bribe from an undercover FBI agent. He resigned from the senate after his role in the scandal came to light, and was convicted of conspiracy and bribery on 1 May 1981. Williams was sentenced to three years in prison, serving two years in Federal prison and one in the Integrity House Halfway House. After his release, he unsuccessfully applied for a pardon from President Bill Clinton. Williams died of cancer in November 2001.