John Jenrette

Former U.S. Rep. John Jenrette, who was convicted in the Abscam bribery scandal in the late 1970s, has died at age 86. An obituary from a funeral home in South Carolina indicates he died Friday. Jenrette served three terms as a Democrat in the U.S. House. His crime and his wife's claim that they had sex on the U.S. Capitol steps received the most attention. But Jenrette also was known for securing federal help for his mostly rural district. That includes aid to tobacco and other types of farmers and a tall new bridge in Georgetown that allowed ships to pass more easily.