FBI Acted Properly in Congress, Say Americans

(Angus Reid Global Scan) Many adults in the United States support the participation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in a probe on possible corruption in the legislative branch, according to a poll by International Communications Research released by ABC News. 86 per cent of respondents believe the FBI should be allowed to search a Congress members office.

On May 20, FBI agents searched the office of Democratic Louisiana congressman William Jefferson in the Rayburn House Office Building. The affidavit used to support the search warrant alleges that Jefferson participated in at least nine schemes in which the congressman "sought things of value in return for his official acts."

In August 2005, a separate FBI raid on Jeffersons residence found $90,000 U.S. "in the freezer, in $10,000 increments wrapped in aluminium foil and stuffed inside frozen-food containers." According to the affidavit, the money was paid by a company named iGate in return for Jeffersons efforts to influence officials in Cameroon, Ghana and Nigeria for a potential business deal.

On May 25, U.S. president George W. Bush directed the Department of Justice to seal all the materials recovered from Jeffersons office "for the next 45 days and not to allow access to anyone involved in the investigation." Bush explained his rationale, writing, "This period will provide both parties more time to resolve the issues in a way that ensures that materials relevant to the ongoing criminal investigation are made available to prosecutors in a manner that respects the interests of a coequal branch of government."

Polling Data

Should the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) be allowed to search a Congress members office?

Yes	86%
No	10%
Not sure	4%

Source: International Communications Research / ABC News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,044 American adults, conducted from May 26 to May 30, 2006. Margin of error is 3 per cent.