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ae we . HE “ABSCAM” investigation, in which some .f congressmen may have been caught grabbing for bribe money, has hit Washington like a ton of ‘bricks. Some of the variegated responses are noteworthy — especially ‘the reactions of two members of Congress from California. - Obviously, many members are furious at the FBI, but very few are proposing, out Joud, to crack down on it. Among those few, though, Is Rep. Don Edwards, D-Hayward, who chairs a House subcommittee with considerable jurisdic- tion over the agency. And Sen. Alan Cranston js quite critical of the FBI. The latter says that the FBI improperly dangled temptation before some of the lawmak- ers and that it should focus on known criminal} - activities instead of hearing in upon public th Cranston says, was not created to “test the integrity of members of Congress...” From what we know of how the investigation came out, however, we must say that somebody needs to test the integrity of at least some of the LI officials in this way. The FBI, S.F. SUNDAY FXAMINER & CHRONICLE FEB. 17, 1980 Lawmakers offended by the FBI —_- "members, The FBI ts the federal agency created . to ferret out crime under federal law. Should it draw back if It sees some threads leading up to Capjtol Hill? Rep. Edwards says that reins are needed to prevent the FBI from undertaking some types of “sting” operations in which people are nabbed for accepting payoffs or committing other crimes. “We don't want them to use any entrapment or enticement in these operations," said the California legislator. He indicated that his subcommittee might put a brake on such things in a new charter it's drawing up to regulate the FBL. . Rather than reining in the FBI very much, . we think that the House would do well to puta rein on Rep. Edwards, if he goes very far with his notion of imposing further investigative restric- tions. The people are _interested in secing criminals caught, and are not offended by the fact that the G-men have intruded into some of the richer and more imperious precincts in that assignment. oe —_—_ wae - e Se oeuamunaiatinmmameann MEd aes