BRISPEC sting operation

The BRISPEC sting operation (Bribery and Special Interest) was an FBI sting operation that lasted from 1986 to 1988 in which the FBI investigated corruption in the California State Legislature. The operation was colloquially called "shrimpscam", because FBI agents posed as representatives of a West Sacramento based shrimp processing company who gave campaign contributions to law makers in exchange for favorable legislation to the front company. A couple of the bills were actually passed by both the Assembly and Senate, but were vetoed by California Governor George Deukmejian, who was tipped off in advance.

The operation sent Board of Equalization member Paul Carpenter to prison. In addition to Carpenter, three members of the state legislature also spent jail time: Pat Nolan, who was the minority leader at the time of the raid, as well as State Senator Joseph Montoya , and Assemblymember Frank Hill.

Speaker Willie Brown and Assemblymember Gwen Moore were also targeted by the operation, but emerged . Willie Brown had a $1000 campaign contribution shoved under his door returned to the donor. Gwen Moore's office was raided as part of the sting operation, but she was eventually of any wrongdoing.

External links

* [http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_adctlid=v%7Cjq2q43wvsl855o%7Cxcle3g28if9h6y&issueId=xckid9w52h5drn&xid=xckluoz4ichird Men in Black: After 20 years, FBI raid recalled] , by Andrea Wieland, published in the "Capitol Weekly", The Newspaper of California Government and Politics, August 21, 2008